Healthcare for Older Persons, A Country Profile: Nigeria

The Nigerian population is undergoing demographic transition, with an increasing population of older people. Nuclear and extended family members traditionally care for older persons at home. We have observed changes in home living conditions due to reduced family size, and urban migration for econom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) 2002-07, Vol.50 (7), p.1289-1292
Main Authors: Akanji, Bola O., Ogunniyi, Adesola, Baiyewu, O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Cultural Characteristics
Elderly people
geriatric care
Geriatrics
Health care
Health care policy
Health education
Health Services for the Aged - organization & administration
health system
Humans
Nigeria
older Nigerians
Older people
Social change
Social Support
social-cultural aspects
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Summary:The Nigerian population is undergoing demographic transition, with an increasing population of older people. Nuclear and extended family members traditionally care for older persons at home. We have observed changes in home living conditions due to reduced family size, and urban migration for economic reasons are likely to affect the care of older people. The inadequately funded healthcare system has placed little emphasis on the care of older people because there are more‐pressing health problems and funding for older people is limited. This paper advocates improved attention to the health needs of older people through improved budgetary allocation, revision of the training curriculum of all cadres of health staff to include geriatrics, and utilization of primary healthcare facilities.
ISSN:0002-8614
1532-5415
DOI:10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50319.x