A pastoral investigation into some of the challenges associated with aging and retirement in the South African context

Abstract

This article is a contribution to a project that congratulates from the work of George Lotter, a pastor, pastoral counsellor and academic who wrote much on matters relating to pastoral care and counselling. Elderliness and retirement can be understood as a period in the lives of elderly people that allows them to rest after a long life of activity and service. From another point of view, old age is also a time that offers pastoral caregivers an opportunity to care for people who have contributed to their families and society. Pastoral caregivers have an important role to play in the lives of elderly people. This applies particularly to elderly black South Africans, who often find themselves confronted by poverty and other related problems. This article investigates the challenges and problems affecting retired and elderly black South Africans with particular focus on the economic impact of aging and its influence on family relationships in the lives of elderly people. To conclude: it is the duty of pastoral caregivers to search for and establish guidelines for the roles the church can play in improving elderly people’s quality of life.’n Pastorale ondersoek na enkele van die uitdagings ten opsigte van veroudering en aftredein die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Hierdie artikel is ’n bydrae tot ’n projek wat voorspruit uit die werk van George Lotter, ’n pastor, pastorale berader en akademikus wat baie geskryf het oor kwessies wat met pastorale sorg en berading verband hou. Bejaardheid en aftrede kan verstaan word as ’n tyd in in ouer persone se lewe waartydens hulle kan rus ná ’n lang aktiewe en diensbare lewe. Bejaardheid kan ook gesien word as ’n tyd wat aan pastorale versorgers die geleentheid gee om na die mense wat bygedra het tot hulle families en die gemeenskap se versorging, om te sien. Pastorale versorgers speel ’n belangrike rol in die lewens van bejaardes. Dit is spesifiek van toepassing op bejaarde swart Suid-Afrikaners wat dikwels gekonfronteer word met armoede en aanverwante probleme. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die uitdagings en probleme waarmee bejaarde swart Suid-Afrikaanse afgetredenes te kampe het. Dit fokus spesifiek op die ekonomiese uitwerking van veroudering en die invloed wat dit op familieverhoudinge in die lewens van bejaardes het. Die slotsom word gemaak dat dit die plig van pastorale versorgers is om riglyne te soek en te bied vir die rol wat die kerk kan speel ter verbetering van die lewensomstandighede van die bejaardes.

Perspective Chapter: Geriatric Care in Africa

“…Like any other group of individuals in society, the aged require constant interaction with people around them [5]. Generally, in most societies and cultures including Africa, it is expected that older people are relieved from normal labour and allowed rest from active economic activities [1]. The aging population is of great concern for the health sector as health challenges are common among the elderly [17,34] with different patterns of presentation which therefore requires special medical skills [8,35].…”

“…There is no precise and accurate definition of who is an elder [39] as there are different definitions for the elderly by several international organizations, and it varies from society to society [40]. The United Nations agreed that the cut-off age for an older person is someone who is 60 years and above [1,2,41], while the World Health Organization defines an elder to be 65 years and above [42,43]. Most developed countries have accepted the chronological age of 65 years as a definition of elderly individuals [5,42,44].…”

“…Sometimes historic events are used to estimate the age. In some African countries, aging is associated with retirement and the receipt of pension [1]. Though not all African older persons have been involved in formal work, older persons in Africa are involved in transmitting oral, culture and traditions from one generation to another [2].…”

“…The health needs of the elderly need to be cared for by medical doctors specially trained to care for the elderly persons who require special communication skills. Old age is a period in the lives of the elderly for rest after a long life of activity and service [1]. In some communities and societies, socio-cultural referents are used to define old age such as family status if the person has become a grandparent, physical appearances such as the appearance of gray hair and wrinkles [2].…”