An Assessment of Social Well-being of the Elderly in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper focused on the Assessment of Social Well-being of the Elderly in Ovia North-East Local Government Area Edo State. It specifically examined social supports for the elderly; it accessed how the family members render social supports for the elderly; it accessed the relevance of the informal caregivers to the elderly; it also investigated how neglect affect the well-being of the elderly and examined the causes of neglect of the elderly. It was found that a majority of people have good intention towards the welfare of the elderly. The main source of income and care of the elderly was mainly from their family members. The various forms of informal social support and certain demographic characteristics predicted the wellbeing of the elderly. The elderly would prefer a combination of both formal and informal social support. It is recommended that all stakeholders involved in the welfare of the elderly should deliberately make adequate efforts to adopt a proactive approach rather than reactive approach in the health of the elderly persons. Keywords: Care, Elderly. Support, Welfare, Well-being