There is not a single old-age home in the Kavango East and West regions, and it’s not because there is a shortage of financial resources to build such establishments.
A local expert says it’s simply not part of the culture to isolate the elderly.
If you were thinking about relocating to the Kavango regions in the hopes of living in an old-age home, don’t bother because you won’t find any.
“The elderly are an integral part of the family unit and the family structure. So therefore, families will reluctantly adopt the norm of sending the elderly members of their family to the old age home because they feel they have a social responsibility to look after. That union will break if they take the elderly away.”
Dr. Naftal Ngalangi says communities in the Kavango regions believe that the responsibility of taking care of the elderly is shared by the entire family; therefore, sending them to an old age home can have devastating effects.
“You can subject them to loneliness. They will be homesick; they might be stressed, and you can easily shorten their lifespan. Of course, we understand that in some cultural spaces, there are elderly people who feel comfortable in old-age homes because of their background.”
Culturally, those chosen to look after the elderly are selected with precision, and Dr. Ngalangi explains why.
“It is very sentimental because it has to do with somebody with a good heart. We know that as people age, they get moody, they become short-tempered, they become too demanding, and so forth. And they have to deal with a good caretaker who is identified on certain merits. The humility, the care, the empathy—things have to be seen in the caretaker that has to look after the elderly.”
He believes that younger generations have a lot to gain from living with their elders.
The Kavango regions might not have old-age homes right now, but with rapid urbanisation, chances are, situations may change in the future.
Despite what the future holds, Dr. Ngalangi says locals do not necessarily have to conform, adding that there are always ways to customise certain situations.
‘For example, I might be busy. My parents are old, but I have a cousin who is unemployed. We have a house, and I can take my parents to live with a cousin. I will be responsible for upkeep. But my cousin is taking on the responsibility of being a caretaker. What makes it much easier is that there is a relationship. There is that kinship; the kinship is not broken. They can’t get homesick because they will still consider my cousin their child.”
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