Older persons are still carrying families, now we must help carry them

In South Africa, as formal employment winds down, a significant number of older individuals are still taking on the roles of caregivers, household managers, and financial providers for their families. While policies may view older people as dependents, the truth is that their labor continues, albeit in a transformed capacity. Ishrene Davids, director of Ikamva Labantu, highlights an alarming statistic: nearly eight million children, accounting for 38% of the nation's child population, reside in households led by grandparents.

This contribution is significant and occurs within an economic landscape where one in three labor force participants struggles to find work. Furthermore, around half of the older population resides in households without any employed members, and more than half live in extended family settings.

Many families rely on the Older Persons Grant, approximately R2,400 per month, to meet the needs of several generations. This support is often stretched thin, covering expenses such as food, electricity, schooling, transportation, and the requirements of multiple family members. Gender plays a role in this dynamic, with women constituting about 61% of South Africa's older population, and grandmothers accounting for more than two-thirds of grandparents living with their grandchildren in 2023.

The role of older family members in these households is one of love, leadership, and responsibility, but it also entails an enormous, often unacknowledged, burden of unpaid care. In many cases, older women stretch their limited grants across their household, handle children's school pick-ups, cook meals, and care for relatives. They may even delay purchasing their own medications and essentials, prioritizing the needs of others.

Accessing healthcare, even for essential needs, can be challenging due to limited and costly public transportation.

While this contribution demonstrates remarkable strength and agency, it is crucial not to romanticize it. Public policy that treats older people solely as dependents overlooks the direction of care and financial support. A 2024 study commissioned by Ikamva Labantu revealed instances of economic abuse among older people in Cape Town's townships, including relatives taking bank cards, demanding grant money, or controlling an older person's income against their will.

Reports of neglect, emotional abuse, physical harm, and isolation were also prevalent, often within relationships that older individuals rely on for care. Unemployment and substance abuse can exacerbate household pressures, but they do not justify abuse.

South Africa's policy framework provides a solid foundation, with the Older Persons Act 13 of 2006 recognizing older individuals as rights holders and providing for community-based and home-based care. The challenge lies in ensuring that this intent is consistently applied, including for older people who are frail, homebound, or far from essential services.

Measures must include protecting older people's control over their grants, creating accessible and safe reporting mechanisms, offering practical support and respite to family caregivers, and ensuring that food, transportation, and healthcare reach both the older person and their household. Investing in community services, such as Ikamva Labantu's home-based care program and senior clubs, is essential.

These initiatives help prevent isolation, facilitate support through trusted relationships, and ensure timely referrals to essential services.

On International Day of Older Persons, Ikamva Labantu will organize 16 simultaneous Circles of Care events in senior clubs across Cape Town's townships. These events provide older individuals with opportunities to meet with police, healthcare providers, government departments, social services, and caregivers for health screenings, rights information, and direct links to support.

While these events are a step in the right direction, they cannot replace the continuous support that older people provide to their communities. South Africa's older people continue to raise millions of children and sustain households during a challenging economic period. Their contributions should be celebrated, but not at the expense of their own well-being.

The question is not whether our elders still contribute; the evidence is evident. The critical issue is whether the systems around them acknowledge the true weight of their contributions and distribute that support fairly. Older South Africans have not retired from caregiving responsibilities; we must not retire from caring for them either.