Abstract
This study evaluates the facilities provided by two black residential care facilities for the elderly in Zimbabwe. One home was structured on a model of residential care developed by the colonial government while the other was an experimental co-operative run by the residents. The aim was to discover how the forms of care provided by the two homes influenced the quality of life experienced by the residents. Data were collected through personal observation and lengthy interviews with residents. Interest centered on the particular characteristics of the institutions that most affected overall satisfaction with the homes. It is argued that despite the greater economic resources controlled by the traditional residential care facility, the social environment created by the co-operative led to a more fulfilling life for the elderly.
Similar content being viewed by others
Rreferences Cited
Clarke, D. 1977 The Distribution of Income and Wealth in Rhodesia. Gweru: Mambo Press.
Hampson, J. 1982 Old Age: A Study of Aging in Zimbabwe. Gweru: Mambo Press.
Kosberg, J. and S. Tobin 1972 Variability Among Nursing Homes. The Gerontologist 12: 214–19.
Muchena, O. 1978 African Aged in Towns. Harare School of Social Work.
Pincus, M. A. 1968 In Last Home for the Aged. A. Tobin and M. Lieberman, eds. p. 13 London: Jossey-Bass.
Tobin, A. and M. Lieberman 1976 Last Home for the Aged. London: Jossey-Bass.
Townsend, P. 1962 The Last Refuge: A Survey of Residential Institutions and Homes for the Aged in England and Wales. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Waterson, L. 1982 Medical Problems Associated with Ageing. In Ageing and the Elderly: A Report on the Inservice Training Programme for Workers who Care for the Elderly. J. Hampson, ed. Pp. 18–23. Harare: School of Social Work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my debt to Father Joe Hampson for his professional supervision of this study. I would also like to thank Trish Swift, Veronica Brand and other lecturers at the Harare School of Social Work for their helpful advice. Finally, I must thank my wife and family for their encouragment during the course of my study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chad Nyanguru, A. Residential care for the destitute elderly: A comparative study of two institutions in Zimbabwe. J Cross-Cultural Gerontol 2, 345–357 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152900
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152900