Abstract
Despite the aging of the population in Ethiopia, little scholarly attention has highlighted the day-to-day experiences of older adults living in community settings. Without a clear understanding of older adults’ lived experiences, little or no government attention is given to older adults’ unmet needs. The purpose of this study was to understand the social and economic context of older adults living in northwest Ethiopia from the perspective of older adults themselves. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of ten purposively selected older adults in Gondar City in northwest Ethiopia. Narrative data from in-depth interviews were analyzed thematically revealing six challenges faced by older adults: fading social networks, widowhood as double jeopardy, a weak social protection system, intractable poverty, being victims of ageism, and inaccessible health care. Based on these findings, we recommend the establishment of a national-level office on aging to raise awareness of the multiple challenges of older people and to advocate for social welfare and health policy and services oriented to the needs of the older population. The severe poverty of older adults can be mitigated by the Ethiopian government committing to social protection as a basic human right. In addition to social protection, other economic strengthening programs such as pensions and micro-loans can help to alleviate older adults’ poverty and improve their overall health and well-being. Large-scale quantitative studies are needed to validate our conclusion that the lack of basic institutional social welfare infringes on the human rights of older adults in Ethiopia.
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The dataset generated and analyzed during the current study is not publicly available due the fact that the research participants were ensured that their data would be protected.
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Alebel, A.S., Bihonegn, A.A. & Adamek, M.E. “It’s a Period of Constant Loss”: Perspectives of Aging Among Older Adults in Gondar City, Ethiopia. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-024-00319-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-024-00319-x