Browsing by Author "Abekah-Carter, K."
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Item Planning for retirement during active service in Ghana: Insights from pensioners in the Greater Accra Region(Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 2024) Ongoh, M.; Afranie, S.; Ohemeng, F.; Abekah-Carter, K.; Godi, A.H.Workers often participate in pre-retirement planning activities to gain awareness of the likely changes they may experience when they retire to enable them to prepare accordingly. Although pre-retirement planning is essential for successful retirement and healthy aging, studies on pre-retirement plan ning activities among older adults in Ghana are limited. This study explored pre-retirement planning actions that were taken by Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pen sioners in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was adopted to gather data from 437 pensioners aged 60 years and above through surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions. The results indicate that while in active service, many (309) pensioners were not motivated to plan for retirement due to issues, such as low income, and distrust of financial institutions. When plan ning did take place, the pensioners favored financial planning over social, mental, and physical planning. The respondents also revealed that they did not prepare adequately for retirement due to low salaries, as well as low knowledge on pre-retirement planning. Policies are needed to encourage pre-retirement plan ning among workers in Ghana to enable them to have an appreciable quality of life in old age.Item Understanding older adults' functioning and health-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana: A descriptive qualitative study(Health Social Care Community., 2021) Newton, A.; Abekah-Carter, K.; Awuviry-Newton, K.; Nkansah, J.O.Little research has been conducted to explore the functional status of community-dwelling older adults in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the functional status and health-seeking behavior of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Utilising Using a descriptive-qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 12 eligible older adults from southern Ghana. With the use of NVivo (v12), descriptive and focused coding techniques were employed to analyse the data. The following five themes were identified after the data analysis: (a) older adults' health status during COVID-19 pandemic, (b) feeling limited; (c) feeling of unhappiness for being inactive, (d) striving to be active and (e) seeking healthcare during COVID-19 pandemic. This study revealed the unique health and social-related needs of Ghanaian older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study's findings draw attention to the urgent need for the state to devise practical health and social-related initiatives to support older adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Item The unmet needs of older people in Nsawam, Ghana(Health & Social Care in the Community, 2022) Abekah-Carter, K.; Oti, G.F.; Awuviry-Newton, K.; et al.Although healthy life expectancy is projected to be increasing among older people, in Ghana, a high proportion of older people will live with functional disabilities, warranting their need for long-term care. We explored the expressions used by older people to describe their needs and preferences of care and support. Using the descriptive-qualitative approach, 14 older people were engaged via semi-structured interviews, and the data were analysed thematically. The study found that older people desired decent accommodation, preferential healthcare, adequate nutrition, and an opportunity to interact with their peers at social functions. A provision of sufficient financial assistance, adequate healthcare, the periodic organisation of social and group events for older people, and the availability of home care and support could help older people address these needs. The paper reveals the need for interventional research on how a model incorporating social, health and environmental factors even during a pandemic can address older people's varying needs