CAREGIVER RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SYSTEMS ON PREVENTING ELDER NEGLECT WITHIN FAMILIES AT IJEBU-NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

In Nigerian society, the erosion of traditional values has significantly diminished the once-respected position and status of the older generation, leading to increased instances of elderneglect. Therefore, this paper investigated the role of caregiver resilience and communitysupport systems in preventing elder neglect within families in the Ijebu-North LocalGovernment Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. The participants included 211 (F = 135; mean age= 28.6) caregivers from various families within the Ijebu-North Local Government Area,Ogun State, Nigeria. Data were sourced through the Elder Assessment Instrument (EAI),Caregiver Resilience Scale (CRS) and Community Support System Questionnaire (CSSQ)and were analysed via multiple regression. The results indicated that the study population hadan average prevalence rate of elder neglect of 51.70%. The results also revealed thatcaregiver resilience significantly predicted the prevention of elder neglect (β = .214, t =3.148, p < .05). The results further revealed that community support systems alone did notsignificantly influence elder neglect prevention (β = .053, t = .778, p > .05). However, thecombined effect of caregiver resilience and community support systems significantlyinfluenced elder neglect prevention (F = 5.565, p < .05, R² = 0.051). The findings imply thatinterventions aimed at preventing elder neglect within families should prioritise enhancingcaregiver resilience while also integrating community support systems, as the combination ofthese factors is more effective than focusing on either aspect alone. Furthermore, publicawareness campaigns should be launched to educate families and communities about theimportance of caregiver resilience and the available support systems, fostering a moresupportive environment for both caregivers and elderly individuals.