SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CAREGIVERS OF THE ELDERLY AND THE RELATED CARE RENDERED IN WINNEBA OF GHANA

Abstract

The study investigated the socio-economic characteristics of caregivers of the elderly and the related care rendered in Winneba Ghana. The phenomenological research design was used for the study to uncover the lived experiences of caregivers of the elderly. An unstructured interview guide was used to gather the data from fifteen caregivers who were purposively selected for the study. Responses were transcribed and analysed using atlas-ti software. The findings showed that caregivers involved in the study were aged between 15 and 65 years with 14 of the participants being female. Caregivers perform multiple tasks such as working and catering for their families alongside caregiving. The caregivers were mainly relatives of the care receivers who provide informal care ranging from two or more activities of daily living to instrumental activities of daily living. It was concluded that caregiving in Winneba assumes an informal type and caregivers mostly undertake cooking, washing, and administering of medication. It was therefore recommended that other relatives must give married female caregivers some support because they have to consider caring for their own families, parents, or elderly relatives alongside their jobs which might be very tedious.