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Community-Based Care For Home Bound Elderely Persons In Nigeria; A Policy Option

Uzoma Odera Okoye

In Nigeria, the elderly are still cared for within the confines of the family. However there is an observable progressive shift in the function of the family. Traditional functions of the family like care and social support to older family members have gradually decreased in the recent past due to financial problems, migration and other accompanying issues. Family members most often are unable to effectively cope with the challenges of caring for elderly persons especially those that are home-bound. The inability of family members to cope with caregiving can lead to frustrations which may translate to abuse of the elderly person. This however is not so in developed countries where community based services are available to carter for these home-bound elderly persons. This paper therefore seeks to suggest the need for government to consider providing community-based intervention programmes for elderly persons in Nigeria.