Reconceptualizing Geriatric Care in a Sub-Saharan African Context

Population ageing is very fast catching up worldwide and with a resultant rise in demands for health services and medical costs. This is because older adults are typically more vulnerable to falls and chronic diseases. It is estimated that by 2025, 57% of the world's population aged 80 years or older will be living in less developed regions. By 2050, there is an estimated increase of more than 70%. Although, Africa, on average, has the lowest life expectancy in the world, in virtually every country, the section of people aged 60 years and over is developing faster than any other age group, because of both longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates. Older adults have recommended that nurses should receive some training for improving their behaviour and attitude. Older adults and their significant health needs are different from that of an adult or a child and should be considered to meet SDG Goal 8: "ensuring equitable access to, and utilisation of, health and long-term care services ...". Their intense use of health services puts older adults at greater risk of receiving fragmented or poor-quality care. The sheer number of people entering older ages is bound to challenge national structures, particularly health systems. This chapter seeks to review the literature on geriatric health care by specialists.