Care of the Elderly in a Changing Nigerian Society

Abstract

Traditionally in Africa, there is reciprocal dependency between parents and children. While children depend on their parents in meeting their needs at early stage in life, parents on the other hand, rely on their children for care and support later in life. This exchange of roles underscores the characteristic intergenerational reciprocal obligations obtainable in within the family. This paper is an assessment of how prevailing socio-economic conditions in Nigeria have impacted children’s caregiving obligation to parents in the face of government insensitivity on the welfare of the elderly. It advocates a synergy between informal and formal support systems to ensure adequate social and economic support for a meaningful ageng process in Nigeria.

Problems of the Aged in Nigeria: The Issue of Housing and Health Care in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

“…He used the phrase 'value of a reward' to emphasize the notion that any given reward might have different value to different people. According to Dokpesi (2006), the central concept of social exchange theory is reciprocity; that is, repaying our interaction partners in the same token in which you have received. This theory assumes that, individuals weigh the outcomes of their social exchange against other possible exchanges.…”

“…This theory assumes that, individuals weigh the outcomes of their social exchange against other possible exchanges. As outcomes of relationships fall below the level of perceived outcomes from other relationship alternatives, individuals may choose to leave present relationships or exchanges (Dokpesi, et al, 2014). Individual's behavior is a function of payoffs, whether the payoffs are provided by the nonhuman environment or by other humans (Cook & Rice, 2003;Dokpesi, et al, 2014).…”

“…As outcomes of relationships fall below the level of perceived outcomes from other relationship alternatives, individuals may choose to leave present relationships or exchanges (Dokpesi, et al, 2014). Individual's behavior is a function of payoffs, whether the payoffs are provided by the nonhuman environment or by other humans (Cook & Rice, 2003;Dokpesi, et al, 2014). However, the social exchange theory is best applied to this study because the elderly are members of a family which is the primary and social unit of interaction.…”

“…However, the social exchange theory is best applied to this study because the elderly are members of a family which is the primary and social unit of interaction. In the family, there is husband-wife, parent-children, sibling-sibling, and parent-larger family and sibling-larger family interactions (Dokpesi, et al, 2014). Take cognizance that, the central concept of this theory is reciprocity, meaning that positive behavior at home reinforces subsequent positive behavior.…”