Perceived Adequacy of Material Support Systems Available to the Childless Older Adults in Southeastern Nigeria: Implications for Social Workers

Ageing PLC: A Business Where Everyone is a Shareholder But Not Aware. Can Social Work Lead?

“…Since filial care is the current dominant care option in Nigeria, this should be seen by social workers as a major area of concern. Findings by Okoye (2012), Okoye and Asa (2011) and Ebimgbo et al (2019bEbimgbo et al ( . 2022a suggest that elder abuse usually results when the caregiver is stressed.…”

The Impacts of Spirituality and Religious Participation on the Emotional Well-Being of Widowed Older Adults in Southeast Nigeria

“…Obviously, the number of Nigerian older adults including the widowed is increasing when the nation is facing numerous challenges like poverty and epidemic ( Adebanjoko & Ugwuoke, 2014 ), weakened traditional values, and lack of government-sponsored welfare programs ( Ebimgbo, Nnama-Okechukwu, et al, 2022 ). Out of 133 million Nigerians that are regarded as multidimensionally poor ( NBS, 2022 ) and roughly 71 million that live in extreme poverty ( World Data Lab, 2023 ), older adults are predominant ( Ebimgbo, Atama, et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Given the limited scope of state-sponsored support for Nigerian older adults, the informal support networks including family members become important sources of financial, health, health information, and emotional care to these older adults ( Ebimgbo & Okoye, 2017 ). However, with a weakened condition of traditional values, the care from the informal support networks seems to be threatened ( Ebimgbo, Nnama-Okechukwu, et al, 2022 ). These conditions have greatly scuffled the perceived support for these individuals and thereby negated their subjective well-being.…”

“…According to Ebimgbo, Atama, et al (2022) , the well-being of older individuals including the widowed should be the primary focus of several support systems to enable them to achieve healthy aging. In Nigeria, the roles of various support systems like family, community, and friends in the care of older adults have been established ( Ebimgbo, Agwu, et al, 2021 ; Ebimgbo, Atama, et al, 2022 ; Ebimgbo, Chukwu, et al, 2021 ; Ebimgbo, Nnama-Okechukwu, et al, 2022 ; Ebimgbo & Okoye, 2017 ; Mobolaji & Akinyemi, 2022 ). Other studies have also acknowledged the role of religious organizations in the care of older adults.…”