Challenges of taking care of an elderly family member.

Introduction

I am medical personnel by profession and I was working at St Paul Millenium Medical College
Endocrine Medical Outpatient department as a resident of family medicine, that is where we
would see our diabetic, chronically ill and often elderly patients. One of my patients that day
was an elderly male in his early 70s who was diabetic for more than 4 decades and had suffered
multiple strokes and cardiac infarctions which the latter is a condition mostly referred in
Amharic as 'Lib dekam'. He is wheelchair dependent because of the many strokes he has had
experienced, and is dependent on others for daily caring, feeding and support. With him are his
wife who is in her late 40s or early 50s at most and a teenage girl. She (the wife) is clearly
irritated, she often would interrupt him in between, she blames him for making her suffer in her
must time of rest assuming it is related to her age. At a point it was difficult to continue the
clinical visit because the constant interruption and bikery and we had to ask her to wait outside
while we examined him and told her we would discuss with her about his care and
management later.

Family can be formed through several ways, ...... marriage is one of the commonest in the
elderly.

Types of families could be ....

A familiy like humans goes through a change in a life cycle of its own, starting from forming of
the family and origin experinces to later life which the latter is characterised by a deteriorating
physical, biological and cognitive function (Family therapy). These factors will make them
incapable of running the family's daily activity physically, mentally, financially, and socially, the
family therfore sould be ready to take the lead in those family roles and taking care of the aging
family members(Family therapy). Which that will not be easy for the elderly, and the family
members but that is part of the family life cycle and everyone has to play their role.These is not
however to say that elderly family memberes to be career for are only from those processes
and relationships, they can be our distant family members as well.
According to 2022 estimation Ethiopia's life expectation have reached 68.25 years(refer).

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2019 reported that Ethiopia was
projected to have 115 million people in the year 2020 and out of this population,
approximately 5.3 per cent or around 6.1 million people are over the age of 60 years, making it
the country in East Africa with the largest population of older people. According to the same
report, it is further projected to rise to 9.1 per cent by the year 2050.(Healthy aging and long
term care in East Africa)

This essay will try to address the challenges assocaited with taking care of our elderly family
members with more focus to our local context.

Definitions

Family is

Elderly or old age is

Elderly family member could be parents, siblings, close relatives, distant relatives, spousal
relatives which could be with the abscence of the spouse.
The taking caring could be children, spouse, siblings, or other distant relatives, or non blood-
related

Taking care of

Factors that could determine what kind of relationshup theey will have is determined by their
previous relationships prior to their aging. They coukd have a respectcful and satisfying
relationships, abusive relations, a close one or distant one, blood relatives or not, mafrriage
relations. Violence (because it sis very common)as well, The types of

Discussions

Six groups are involved in the elderly care; these are health care providers, nongovernmental
community-based service providers,employers, government, families, and elders themselves
(Families and elderly care in the 21 century).

Even in the USA in the year 2009, 12.9 percent of the people 65 and above had an income
below poverty level.
Developed countries like United States of America have insurance and care specially for elders
like medicare, and social security.....

They also other programs like older american act and national family caregiver support program
for elder support. The famailies are also eligible for unpaid leave benefits by their family and
medical leave act(reference).

Who does mostly care for the elderly famaily members, women are usually the most carier of
this burden

Challenges

Even the working age group is not employed,

Getting ready for unfortunate situations, death, decapacitations, death, prolonged sicklinness,
Employed care givers, almost 60 percent of elder caregivers today are employed, many forms of
caregiving must now be “outsourced” to nonfamily members(Families and elderly care in the 21
century)

Conflicts

Displacement

Ethnic violences

Poor health care,

Poor soceital benefit and welfare,

Financial insecurities,

Changing demographics,

Increasing female workforce,

Concusions

Recommendations