Dynamics of life satisfaction among elderly people in the municipality of Solwezi, Zambia: prospects and challenges.
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Date
2020
Authors
Sitali, Mubiana Kaiko
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
This study sought to examine dynamics of life satisfaction among elderly people and to explore prospects and challenges to its attainment. The main purpose was to create an enabling environment for attainment of life satisfaction. Creating an enabling environment for attainment of life satisfaction among the elderly should be of great interest, given that Zambia’s population, like the global population, is ageing at a faster rate than before. Population ageing has implications for nearly all sectors of society, including labour and financial markets, demand for goods and services, such as
housing, health, and social protection. Attainment of life satisfaction is crucial in the process of ageing as it is linked to physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. At the time of the study, little was known on the status of life satisfaction among the elderly and challenges, and or prospects of its attainment. Consequently, study objectives were to: examine the dynamics of life satisfaction among the elderly; explore contextual prospects to attainment of life satisfaction among the elderly; critically examine contextual challenges to attainment of life satisfaction among the elderly; aassess the adequacy of the National Ageing Policy (NAP) in enhancing prospects to attainment of life satisfaction among the elderly. The guiding theories were the Activity Theory of Ageing and Erikson’s Theory of Human Development. The study utilised an integrated mixed research design with several data collection instruments, namely; Document Review Guide, Interview Guide, Observation Checklist, and a Satisfied With Life Scale (SWLS) with Biographical Data Questionnaire. A total of 101 SWLSs were administered on 101 total sample of elderly respondents with 100 per cent response rate. Interviews were held with 3 key informants from National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), the District Social Welfare Officer and the District Medical Officer. The Document Review Guide was utilised on the NAP. The Observation Checklist was employed to observe the respondents’ immediate surroundings. Primary data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while qualitative data was analysed using thematic and data condensation methods. The-study’s findings were that 58.4 per cent did not attain life satisfaction, while 36.6 per cent attained it. Prospects of attainment of life satisfaction were related to: achievement of minimum basic needs (90%); assured welfare (27%);
morality of the children (25%); self-esteem (5%); and longevity (2%). Challenges to attainment of life satisfaction were related to: inability to meet basic needs (85%), poor health (75%); dependency (70%); loss of family members (60%); not having met one’s life goals (20%); lack of social security (80%); and physiological consequence of ageing (20%). None of the respondents mentioned activities of leisure in nature as prospects to their attainment of life satisfaction. Assessment of the NAP identified omissions such as lack of clarity on heterogeneity among elderly people, passive involvement of the elderly people in the national policy formulation and implementation, non-emphasis on age-related challenges, silence on the role and expected support for families caring for elderly people and non-inclusion of geriatric services. Recommendations to government and relevant authorities were that they should; increase funding to social security schemes, devise a pension system that is inflation-sensitive, and supplement the NAP with the guidelines suggested by this study.
Description
Thesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Adult Education.