TITLE:
Social Isolation of Older Persons and Their Well Being: Case of Rwamucuucu Sub-County, Rukiga District, Uganda
AUTHORS:
Aharimpisya Dianah, Banugire Firimooni Rweere
KEYWORDS:
Social Isolation, Well-Being, Older Persons, Basic Needs, Needs Satisfiers
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.7 No.9,
September
2,
2019
ABSTRACT: Older persons are vulnerable to poverty, social
injustice, and isolation by their family, friends and communities. This essay
explores the challenge of isolation and how it is connected to the other
challenges and its effect on their wellbeing. We developed a conceptual
framework that links isolation and other determinants of social wellbeing of
old persons as a means of clarifying the right solutions to their problem. The
focus was on older person’s experiences of isolation and the causes of social
isolation. The study was exploratory and descriptive, using the case of
Rwamucuucu Sub County of the Rukiga District in 2013. We interviewed older
persons and community members using questionnaire and focused group
discussions, local leaders and officials with key informant interviews. The
study found strong connections between social isolation and older person’s
wellbeing. The results show that older persons experience very many problems in
their day to day lives including, poverty, lack of social support, ill health,
abuse of human rights and mental problems, which have also led to increased
isolation. Causes of social isolation of older persons were: family issues, poverty, ill-health, lack of right
policies, ageism, cultural issues, modernism, illiteracy and poor planning lack
of older persons organizations. The study recommended that while the
duty to care of older persons lies with many stakeholders including the community, caretakers, civil society,
and older persons themselves, government retains the lead responsibility to
provide a positive living environment for older persons.