UNDERSTANDING AND PROVIDING ADEQUATE ELDERLY CARE IN NIGERIA THROUGH TRAINED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

ABSTRACT

This paper focused on understanding the healthcare needs of the elderly and the dire need for Nigerian healthcare professionals to care for the elderly with trained geriatric knowledge. Health care issues have become a severe societal burden in recent years, affecting the entire Nigerian society, even the elderly. Health-care professionals in Nigeria lack access to the same high-quality training that they do in developed countries, where resources to help them enhance their performance are readily available. The value of the health-care industry in Nigeria cannot be emphasized, necessitating the training of healthcare professionals in Nigeria to care for the elderly and society as a whole. As a result, it is evident that the focus of this essay was on improving healthcare professional training in order to work for the common good of society, particularly the elderly in Nigeria, in order to compete with the developed world. Secondary sources of data were used for the literature review, and a comprehensive debate was held on the necessity for healthcare personnel to be prepared to deal with the needs of the aging population. The evaluation approach included an independent literature search on healthcare professionals, followed by a two-stage review procedure. The first was the selection and exclusion procedure, which involved choosing literatures that were deemed appropriate for the article and rejecting or excluding those that were not. This provided a good framework for compiling relevant material and performing a thorough evaluation. The literature was compiled using data from a number of reputable peer-reviewed journals and academic websites. Recommendations were based on an analysis of current challenges, which included the need for adequate training, increased campaigns for elderly care, and the provision of necessary infrastructure and facilities to equip healthcare professionals with the tools they need to manage the needs of older adults in modern Nigeria and in the future.

Key words: Nigeria, health, healthcare professionals, elderly, older adults, training etc.