Investigation On Caregivers and The Aged Perceptions towards the Establishment of Elderly Homes in Nasarawa State

Advancements in literacy and improved technology have led to greater longevity and increasing trends of the elderly population, hence, increasing the need for caregiving, which seems difficult for the immediate family members due to urbanization, industrialization and attendant migration of youths from rural to urban areas, therefore, the need for elderly external support to meet up with the great demand. The study assessed the perception of the caregivers and the aged towards the establishment of elderly homes. Three research objectives and one null hypothesis were formulated for the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey and research and development design. A sample size of one hundred and ninety (190) respondents was selected from a population of twentyseven thousand six hundred and eighty-eight (27,688) of aged and caregivers. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select respondents in the study area. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Perception for Homes for the elderly (PHFE)”. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The result shows that the majority (2.78) of the participants positively support establishing an elderly home in Nasarawa State. The respondents perceived elderly homes as important in society (3.16) and revealed that elderly homes will reduce elderly death (2.70) and stress (2.8) and the majority (2.84) of the caregivers revealed preference for elderly homes to traditional ways of caring for the elderly people (3.2). In addition, guideline on a suitable functional elderly home was developed and validated to serve for the establishment of the home. In conclusion, there is a gradual change in the long-term traditional role of children being the major caregivers to the aged, as most caregivers are in urgent need of an alternative support system for the elderly parent, therefore it’s imperative to adopt the proposed guidelines developed and validated by the respondents (elderly and caregivers) to meet up with this The study recommends that the government should incorporate the establishment of elderly homes as a means of a welfare scheme for the elderly in Nasarawa state.