Tuesday, April 27, 2021

WELLBEING OF CAREGIVERS IN ELDERS’ CARE: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CSOs

 Dear All

Got the opportunity to continue my research study and publication and find the updates published recently in MAHILA PRATISHTHA during January - March 2021 and brief details includes: 

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ABSTRACT

The Caregivers of Elders’ Care are playing a key role but facing several challenges with uncertainties and further leading poor quality of life. The migration from villages to cities and cities to other parts including other countries either it is healthy or unhealthy is in increasing trend alarming the basic structure, dynamics, culture, and traditions. The situation is much similar both in rural and urban environments with variation in economical status. In view of such changes in the family dynamics, Elders’ Care (60+ years) particularly women who have been left out is becoming more and more complex with several challenges. On the other side, the care of Elders with disabilities is more complicated as they need special care. In such processes, Caregivers though gets good satisfaction but are marginalized with uncertainties leading poor quality of life. The Elders Care and role of Caregivers has to be seen as two sides of the same coin. The need of the hour is to accept the realities of Elders’ Care and plan for matching strategies and interventions so that Elders as well as Caregivers particularly women will have happy and healthy life with improved wellbeing or quality of life. The efforts made by the Government can be strengthened with the Private, Corporate and NGOs working on the model of partnership. The opportunities developed for caregivers empowers them for better growth and development and further to be more effective and efficient in serving elders. The initiatives taken up have resulted for significant impact and motivated the groups to work for the wellbeing of elders as well as caregivers.     

 Key Words: Ageing, Caregivers, Wellbeing, Disability, Community, Training, Rehabilitation, Security, Opportunities, Inclusion, Quality of life.   

 Statement of the Problem

The Caregivers of Elders’ Care at Residence, Community, and Homes are playing a key role but facing several challenges both socially and economically with uncertainties and further leading poor quality of life (QOL).   

Conclusions

The study made on the wellbeing of caregivers as well as elders has gained priority and the key conclusions emerged include:

ü  The Caregivers of Elders’ Care at Residence, Community, and Homes are playing a key role but facing several challenges both socially and economically with uncertainties and further leading poor quality of life.   

ü  Ageing is natures’ gift as a reality and has to be accepted by every human being as there is no option.

ü  In view of changes in the family dynamics, Elders’ Care (60+ years) particularly women who have been left out is becoming more and more complex.

ü  The care of Elders with disabilities is more complicated as they need special care matching to their disabilities, its severity and living environment.

ü  Caregivers mostly working in unorganized sectors though gets good satisfaction but are marginalized both socially and economically with uncertainties forcing to lead poor quality of life.

ü  The Elders Care and role of Caregivers has to be seen as two sides of the same coin as they are interlinked and travel together.

ü  The need of the hour is to accept the realities of Elders’ Care and plan for matching strategies and interventions so that Elders as well as Caregivers will have happy and healthy life with improved wellness or quality of life.  

ü   Elders do have specific needs and some of them include Health Care, Rehabilitation, Skill Development, Environment, and Employment or Livelihoods which finally supports for their inclusion with family for happy and healthy life with improved quality of life.

ü  To minimize the challenges of elders (including elders with disabilities) and to protect them, Government came up with several Acts & Policies.

ü   The needs of the caregivers include Personal Care, Domestic Care, Physical Care, Health Care, Financial Care, Communication Care, Environmental Care, and other need based Care which finally works for the empowerment of caregivers with improved quality of life.

ü  The wellbeing domains of elders as well as caregivers include Emotional, Spiritual, Social, Intellectual, Physical, Occupational, Financial and Environmental.

ü  While serving the Elders, the caregivers will get affected both socially and economically and further leads poor quality of life.

ü  The need of the hour is to accept all such challenges of caregivers and look for creating opportunities so that their wellbeing will be improved as it is very well linked up with the wellbeing of elders who are the most vulnerable and marginalized including isolation.  

ü   There exist several opportunities as part of the empowerment of caregivers for better living with improved wellbeing.

ü  While working for the wellbeing of Elders as well as Caregivers, Government and Private do face several limitations as it dominantly works with top down approaches with poor connectivity.

ü  The CSOs or NGOs staying very near to the Elders as well as the Caregivers do have several advantages as it works with bottom up approaches having better connectivity and relationship.   

ü  The need of the hour is to support such NGOs and allow them to work with Government, and Private (or Corporate) on partnership basis know as Government Private and NGO Partnership.

ü  The initiatives taken up for caregivers, elders, and NGOs have resulted for better growth & development, economical & social security, and improved quality of life of caregivers which further resulted for happy & healthy life of elders as wellbeing of all connected with the service domain of elders’ care. 

ü  The strategies, approaches, initiatives, and models used in the study are simple, flexible, replicable, scalable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given environment.    

 Recommendations

The wellbeing of elders as well as the caregivers gains priority with increasing demand and the recommendation made include:   

ü  To strengthen the family linkages for making elders care as an inclusive at home and community.

ü  To encourage students to be the change makers at home and communities for improving the bondage with elders treating them as an asset to the family and community.

ü  To support students to take up project work and research study on ageing, elders care, caregivers, and other associated domains.

ü  To support for the empowerment of Caregivers with better growth and development who intern works for the wellbeing of self and elders.

ü  To support for the development of Integrated Care cum Rehabilitation homes for Elders with matching facilities for Caregivers. 

To support and encourage NGOs to work with Government and Private on Partnership (GPNP) basis for making elders as well as caregivers happier and healthier with improved wellbeing.

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This is for your kind information and suggestions please.

With thanks          

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