Caring for the Aged: The Role of Caregivers in the Lives of Some Neglected Elderly in Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana

A qualitative research approach with phenomenological design was employed for the study. The study used the purposive sampling technique to select a sample size of eighteen participants comprising twelve elderly participants and six caregivers who were providing care to the selected elderly participants in Winneba. The researchers adopted one-on-one interview, observation guide and focus group discussion as instruments for gathering data. The study revealed that the role of caregivers was very crucial in the wellbeing of the aged. They offered social, psychological, financial and medical support and provided them with accommodation all geared toward the wellbeing of the aged. However, the caregivers are not biological children but rather volunteers. Thus, there is no family or blood relationship between the elderly and their caregivers and as a result, the caregivers are not obliged to provide care to the elderly. The elderly received most of their support not from biological caregivers but from voluntary caregivers. This is because their children are not in better financial position to cater for them since the elderly failed to send them to school or sponsor them to learn a trade. The elderly were not satisfied with the assistance they received from their caregivers but could not complain for the fear of total abandonment. This is because the support the neglected elderly received from the voluntary caregivers are intermittent. This presupposes that the support they received cannot be reliable. It was recommended that the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection should provide and advocate for community-based elderly facilities in the Municipality. These include Day Care Centers and Emergency Units to accommodate elderly members who are neglected and need immediate assistance. This will help provide an alternative to the weakened traditional social care system in Winneba. Non-Governmental Organisations, the religious bodies and institutions and the family must be encouraged and supported by the government to continue to play their roles as sources of social protection for the elderly