Socio-Economic and Health Experiences of the Aged in Rural Ghana: The Case of Charia in the Wa Municipal Area

Abstract

The 21^st century has witnessed a tremendous increase of the elderly population in developing countries. However, old age is polarized with numerous challenges that cannot be investigated in a single study. The principal objective of this was to investigate the socio-economic and health experiences of the aged in rural Ghana, using Charia as a case study. Data were from a total of old men and women from Charia as well as some key informant interviews. The tools that were used for data collection include structured interview schedules, questionnaires, face-to-face interviews checklists and Focus Group Discussions guides. Quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel and have been presented in the form of charts and tables. The chi-square test of independence was used to test hypotheses that were made in the study at 5% level of significance.  Direct quotations from transcribed data have been used in analyzing qualitative data. Findings from this study revealed that old women were more vulnerable to the challenges of old age than old men. Subsequently, opinions of the aged were not respected and their financial conditions were found to be appalling. Furthermore, most of the elderly people in Charia seldom visit the hospital when they are sick, and finally but most importantly, there was no any form of support scheme for the aged in Charia. It is recommended that serious attention is given to the implementation of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to support the finances of the aged. Also, families are encouraged to support the aged to visit health care centres and finally, the youth are encourage to make Proper care and respect for the aged a culture so as to be respected and be supported at old age.

Keywords: Socio-economic, Health experiences, aged, Charia and Ghana