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 elder
neglect. Therefore, this paper investigated the role of caregiver resilience and community
support systems in preventing elder neglect within families in the Ijebu-North Local
Government 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 had
an average prevalence rate of elder neglect of 51.70%. The results also revealed that
caregiver 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 not
significantly influence elder neglect prevention (β = .053, t = .778, p > .05). However, the
combined effect of caregiver resilience and community support systems significantly
influenced elder neglect prevention (F = 5.565, p < .05, R² = 0.051). The findings imply that
interventions aimed at preventing elder neglect within families should prioritise enhancing
caregiver resilience while also integrating community support systems, as the combination of
these factors is more effective than focusing on either aspect alone. Furthermore, public
awareness campaigns should be launched to educate families and communities about the
importance of caregiver resilience and the available support systems, fostering a more
supportive environment for both caregivers and elderly individuals.