Analysis of Support Systems of Elderly Persons in Lagos State, Nigeria

The advancement in age could be associated with several changes in the body. These changes might require support systems for elderly persons to function optimally. These support systems are needed to improve well-being and living conditions. This study therefore aimed at investigating the support systems of elderly persons in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and the sample was drawn from selected local government areas in Lagos state, Nigeria based on simple random, proportional and accidental sampling methods. The instrument used for data collection was entitled "Support Systems of Elderly Persons Questionnaire". The instrument was content validated with reliability coefficients of 0.78. Data was analysed using a mean at 2.50 benchmarks and Analysis of Variance at a 0.05 alpha level. The findings of the study indicated that support systems of elderly persons comprised mainly children((X) over bar = 3.28) and family ((X) over bar =3.18) while the forms of support are household management (X = 3.04) and medical care ((X) over bar = 3.00). There was a significant difference in the support systems of elderly persons in Lagos State, Nigeria based on age. The study therefore recommended that people should be made aware of the care requirements needed by the elderly, particularly those who are 80 years old and older.