Key Points and Actions from Wazee Day of Older Persons Webinar, 2023

Cite as: Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa and Africa Social Work and Development Network (2023). Key points and actions from Wazee/Older Persons Webinar, 6 October 2023

Key Points and Actions (PDF version, PowerPoint version, Image/Picture/PNG version

1. Government role to be strengthened, advocacy required for services, resources political action. Who: social workers and development workers.
2. Research – more research needed on training needs, care models, developmental models. Who: research students including PhD, academics, organisations and government.
3. Family approach – the mainstay of care for older people, suits Africa’s philosophy of Ubuntu and values, government and organisations to strengthen families.
4. Community approach – suited to Africa’s philosophy of Ubuntu and values, government and organisations to strengthen or introduce new community programs, building on already existing community-led initiatives like mutual aid, cultural, faith-based initiatives.
5. Caregivers’ role is important, to be recognized, to be skilled e.g. home help/maids, caregiving as a profession. Social workers and government to work with families to produce guidelines to compensate and train caregivers.
6. Mental wellbeing and resilience – awareness, understanding of mental health (cultural), Health and disability – train health workers, governments to ensure access to Primary Health Care centres, caregivers and families to increase physical activity of older people.
7. Social work and development worker skill gaps – training institutions to review curricula.
8. Community centres, day care centres and halfway homes – needed to relieve caregivers temporarily, communities and government should initiate and maintain.
9. Psychosocial services – new skills, work sheds, social interaction, counselling, Friendship bench model, support groups. Training institutions to develop or review training for older people service providers: social workers, development workers, counsellors, community workers, geriatric workers, cultural workers, religious workers.
10. African Union and regional bodies – continental policy work,, AU to ensure governments accountability based on its of older people policies align social work and development education and training to AU policies and plans,
11. Resources – look within for resources: families, communities, private sector and government, to avoid dependents on donors who comes with different philosophies.
12. Economic means and livelihoods – take a developmental approach as opposed to welfarist approach.