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Older adult caregivers to people with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa: a review of literature and policy implications for change

The emergence and spread of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) impacted a large proportion of adults in their prime age resulting in deaths that have led to over 5 million grandparents taking up primary parenting duties for over 12 million AIDS orphans in addition to caring for people living with HIV/AIDS. SSA has experienced the largest demographic impact of the pandemic worldwide. This study reviewed literature on the elderly as caregivers to people living with HIV/AIDS in SSA as a result of the pandemic. The review process was achieved through Internet searches for relevant peer-reviewed journal articles on databases such as CINAHL, ERIC, Medline, Pyschinfo, and Socindex. Grey literature that was relevant was included. A total of 98 studies were generated from the databases of which 68 were used in the study. Analysis of the selected materials revealed broad thematic categories which were caregiving options, affected by HIV/AIDS, infected with HIV/AIDS, problems of AIDS orphans, and policy implications. The review revealed that the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in SSA has resulted in devastation and disruption of the traditional family structure and significantly altered roles of family members. This paper explores the caregiving role of elderly people in SSA with the aim of making policy recommendations to promote effective programs directed at this population in the context of HIV/AIDS. More research is needed to explore the best way in which the older people can continue to play meaningful roles in society including caregiving without compromising their own health.