Survival Strategies of the Elderly in Rural Ghana

Abstract

<p>This study investigates the day-to-day life dynamics, challenges faced, and underlying causes affecting the survival of elderly persons in rural Ghanaian communities. Grounded in a quantitative descriptive design, data were collected from 253 elderly individuals aged 60 and above across six rural communities using structured questionnaires. Findings reveal that despite cultural expectations of care, 59.3% of the elderly remain primary providers within their households, reflecting a paradox of sustained economic agency amid rising vulnerabilities. The elderly face significant financial constraints (63.2%) and health burdens including chronic conditions, and social isolation (39.5%), compounded by declining family support and limited institutional safety nets. These findings underscore the dissonance between Ghana’s traditional Ubuntu-inspired values of reverence and collective responsibility and the deteriorating material conditions faced by rural elders, encapsulated by the concepts of conditional reciprocity and performative reverence. The study calls for culturally sensitive social protection policies recognizing the unique intersection of vulnerability and agency in Ghana’s aging population. The research contributes empirical evidence informing targeted interventions to enhance rural elderly well-being through expanded social protections, age-friendly healthcare, and reinforced community support frameworks, aligning cultural preservation with modern socioeconomic realities.</p>