Caregiving and Stress: Experience of People Taking Care of Elderly Relations in South-eastern Nigeria

Providing care especially to the elderly, takes a huge toll, both physically and emotionally on the caregiver. With the population of the elderly growing in Nigeria, one of the emerging issues is the care and support of elderly persons in years to come. Few people are prepared for the responsibilities and tasks involved in caring for the aged because of the stress involved. This study investigates the experiences of caregivers of elderly relatives. Questionnaires were distributed to 330 respondents. Result shows that there exists a significant relationship between caregiver’s age and level of stress (p=0.001). The sex of care receiver, the level of education of caregivers, level of education of care receiver are all significantly related to the level of stress. The role of social workers in future care and support of the elderly in Nigeria is discussed.