IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ris/spppps/0030.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Articulation of the shallow inclusion and deep exclusion of older adults from the Ghanaian policy terrain

Author

Listed:
  • Delali A. Dovie

    (University of Ghana, Centre for Ageing Studies, Ghana)

Abstract

The paper examines how the Ghanaian policy environment shapes access inequalities in well-being at old age, utilizing qualitative and quantitative datasets obtained from individuals aged 50+ (n = 230). The results show from older people (70%) that aged policy extensively excludes older adults. This denotes an incomprehensible policy domain that comprises the constitution, social protection policy, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) act, and the national ageing policy. The challenge is the mandatory retirement age is 60 years; while the compartmentalization of the NHIS free healthcare provision is for those aged 70+, the Welfare Card (EBAN) provides access to social amenities, including transportation, to older people 65+ at a discount of 50%. However, older adults are not a homogenous group. These policies address needs of the aged incoherently, with currency across the spheres of social exclusion and inclusion. However, a policy is a key resource, the limitation of which may have dire repercussions, including ageism. This has broader implications for social, economic, political exclusion regarding multi-dimensional facets of healthcare and labor force participation. These are discussed in light of the three pillars of ageing social policy, namely healthcare, paid work, and social care. The paper argues that government policy is skewed towards children, youth, gender, and education, despite older adults' increasing population, without an appreciation for concrete and determinate policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Delali A. Dovie, 2020. "Articulation of the shallow inclusion and deep exclusion of older adults from the Ghanaian policy terrain," Studia z Polityki Publicznej / Public Policy Studies, Warsaw School of Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 1-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:spppps:0030
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://econjournals.sgh.waw.pl/KSzPP/article/view/2468
    File Function: Full text
    Download Restriction: azybal@sgh.waw.pl
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Klimczuk, Andrzej & Tomczyk, Łukasz, 2019. "Between Successful and Unsuccessful Ageing: Selected Aspects and Contexts," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, volume 0, number 226194.
    2. Alan Walker, 2002. "A strategy for active ageing," International Social Security Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(1), pages 121-139.
    3. Melissa J. Wilde & Patricia Tevington & Wensong Shen, 2018. "Religious Inequality in America," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(2), pages 107-126.
    4. Kieran Walsh & Thomas Scharf & Norah Keating, 2017. "Social exclusion of older persons: a scoping review and conceptual framework," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 81-98, March.
    5. -, 2007. "The Madrid International plan of action on ageing," Sede Subregional de la CEPAL para el Caribe (Estudios e Investigaciones) 38407, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    6. Parmar, Divya & Williams, Gemma & Dkhimi, Fahdi & Ndiaye, Alfred & Asante, Felix Ankomah & Arhinful, Daniel Kojo & Mladovsky, Philipa, 2014. "Enrolment of older people in social health protection programs in West Africa – Does social exclusion play a part?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 36-44.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ivan Byaruhanga & Jonas Debesay, 2021. "The Impact of a Social Assistance Program on the Quality of Life of Older People in Uganda," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440219, January.
    2. Zhiyu Feng & Longfei Li & Jingchun Zhang & Xinqun Feng, 2024. "Towards a Communication Ecology in the Life of Rural Senior Citizens: How Rural Public Spaces Influence Community Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Tomasz Panek & Jan Zwierzchowski, 2022. "Examining the Degree of Social Exclusion Risk of the Population Aged 50 + in the EU Countries Under the Capability Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 973-1002, October.
    4. Elliroma Gardiner & Jack Adams & Jonas Debrulle & Johan Maes, 2024. "Exploring the impact of entrepreneurship on physical and psychological health in the context of active ageing: a systematic review," Post-Print hal-04834150, HAL.
    5. Ling Xu & Jia Li & Weiyu Mao & Iris Chi, 2023. "Exploration of Social Exclusion among Older Chinese Immigrants in the USA," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Rossarin Soottipong Gray & Umaporn Pattaravanich, 2020. "Internal and external resources, tiredness and the subjective well-being of family caregivers of older adults: a case study from western Thailand, Southeast Asia," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 349-359, September.
    7. Aviad Tur-Sinai & Netta Bentur & Paolo Fabbietti & Giovanni Lamura, 2021. "Impact of the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Formal and Informal Care of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Cross-National Clustering of Empirical Evidence from 23 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-13, June.
    8. Kozar Łukasz, 2021. "Non-Monetary Indicators of Social Exclusion – A Multidimensional Comparative Analysis of the Eu-10 Countries," Econometrics. Advances in Applied Data Analysis, Sciendo, vol. 25(4), pages 40-53, December.
    9. Kazushige Ide & Taishi Tsuji & Satoru Kanamori & Seungwon Jeong & Yuiko Nagamine & Katsunori Kondo, 2020. "Social Participation and Functional Decline: A Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Older People, Using Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study Longitudinal Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-13, January.
    10. Charlene H. Chu & Simon Donato-Woodger & Shehroz S. Khan & Rune Nyrup & Kathleen Leslie & Alexandra Lyn & Tianyu Shi & Andria Bianchi & Samira Abbasgholizadeh Rahimi & Amanda Grenier, 2023. "Age-related bias and artificial intelligence: a scoping review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Mirian Fernández Salido & Carolina Moreno-Castro & Francesco Belletti & Stecy Yghemonos & Jorge Garcès Ferrer & Georgia Casanova, 2022. "Innovating European Long-Term Care Policies through the Socio-Economic Support of Families: A Lesson from Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-12, March.
    12. repec:ilo:ilowps:431832 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Louise Mansfield & Christina Victor & Catherine Meads & Norma Daykin & Alan Tomlinson & Jack Lane & Karen Gray & Alex Golding, 2021. "A Conceptual Review of Loneliness in Adults: Qualitative Evidence Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-19, November.
    14. Mladovsky, Philipa & Ba, Maymouna, 2017. "Removing user fees for health services: A multi-epistemological perspective on access inequities in Senegal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 91-99.
    15. Carlo Fabian & Sandra Janett & Tobias Bischoff & Riccardo Pardini & Johanna Leitner & Carlo Knöpfel, 2019. "The Development of ‘Age Appropriate’ Living Environments: Analysis of Two Case Studies from a Social Work Perspective," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 123-133.
    16. Marian Vasile & Marja Aartsen & Iuliana Precupetu & Laura Tufă & Diana-Alexandra Dumitrescu & Rosa Maria Radogna, 2024. "Association Between Social Isolation and Mental Well-Being in Later Life. What is the Role of Loneliness?," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 19(1), pages 245-267, February.
    17. Tamima Sultana, 2011. "Expectations, Realities and Coping Strategies of Elderly Women in a Village of Bangladesh," Bangladesh Development Research Working Paper Series (BDRWPS) BDRWPS No. 13, Bangladesh Development Research Center (BDRC).
    18. Wouter De Tavernier & Marja Aartsen, 2019. "Old-Age Exclusion: Active Ageing, Ageism and Agency," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 1-3.
    19. Banyár, József, 2020. "Miként javítható az állami nyugdíjrendszer? Öt lehetséges lépés egy átfogó reformhoz [How can the state pension system be improved? Five possible steps to comprehensive reform]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 632-652.
    20. Mark Ward & Christine A. McGarrigle & Daniel Carey & Rose Anne Kenny, 2021. "Social Capital and Quality of Life among Urban and Rural Older Adults. Quantitative Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 1399-1415, June.
    21. Davide Lucantoni & Andrea Principi & Marco Socci & Marina Zannella & Francesco Barbabella, 2022. "Active Ageing in Italy: An Evidence-Based Model to Provide Recommendations for Policy Making and Policy Implementation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-25, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    older adults; policy; eligibility; social exclusion; social inclusion; active ageing; coping strateg;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • N37 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Africa; Oceania

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ris:spppps:0030. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Marcin Ochalski (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/sgwawpl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.