Willing, But...” Challenges of Elderly Caregivers in Rural Kenya

Older adults are increasingly playing the principal role in caring for younger adults sick with HIV/AIDS and for orphaned grandchildren. Recent research conducted in Thailand, Zimbabwe, and Uganda found that over two-thirds of elderly respondents were the main caregivers of ill adults or orphans whose parents had died of AIDS (Knodel et al. 2001; WHO 2001; Ntozi and Nakayiwa 1999). Often older people have no alternative but to provide nursing care to their ailing adult children and to become active parents again, in addition to providing for themselves. Such tasks can be particularly challenging in resourcepoor settings. Despite their important role in caregiving, there has been little research to better understand their unique caregiving needs, given their age and economic circumstances, and ways in which their needs can be addressed by HIV/AIDS programs.