HIV/AIDS AND THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE AGED. Understanding The Role, Constraints And Consequences for the Elderly as Providers of Education to Children Orphaned By HIV/AIDS

"From being provided for to providers"

Although HIV/AIDS has become a concern for all age groups, to date little has been
written about its impact on the older adult population. Society's prior reluctance to deal
with HIV/AIDS as a problem in the general population has only served to compound
problems of addressing HIV/AIDS as a concern for elderly adults (Linsk, 1994).
However, more recent examination of the issues reveal that older persons are
increasingly being affected by HIV/AIDS directly (personally) and indirectly, through
knowledge of and interaction with HIV positive family and friends. In fact, it has been
argued (Whipple & Scura, 1989) that older adults should be considered at risk for
HIV/AIDS because they express themselves sexually, may be (or have been)
intravenous drug users, may have received blood transfusions, and may already have
a compromised immune system due to other age- and health-related conditions.

The aged in Uganda have been both infected and affected. Unfortunately it is difficult to
identify those that are infected with HIV/AIDS due to the poof modalities of blood
check-ups. The other category of elderly are those affected because members of their
families have died of AHIV/AIDS. In fact the effect of HIV/AIDS on the elderly, has
changed their role from being looked after to looking after others especially grand
children after their children have died of HIV/AIDS.

This paper presents results of a research carried with intentions of finding out how
HIV/AIDS has changed the role of the aged in Uganda. The study was a case study of
Kayunga district in central Uganda and the research design was a cross-section one.
Data was collected from 300 randomly selected households using survey
questionnaires, exploratory interviews and focus group discussion. Collected data was
analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Results of this study, indicated that at least 81% of the surveyed households have
suffered an HIV/AIDS related death and that up to 33.6% aged above 50 yeas are
providers of education to grand children after their parents (Children of the aged) have
died of HIV/AIDS. This research also revealed that these elderly people with income
that can hardly support their daily basic needs have an extra burden of providing basic
needs for the orphans. The research also revealed that among the orphans of victims
of HIV/AIDS, 16% have symptoms characteristics of HIV positives. More pronounced of
the HIV/AIDS related symptoms was prolonged sickness among these orphans, this
imposed an extra burden of treating such a child.

It was concluded that indeed the effect of HIV/AIDS has indirectly changed the role of
the aged from being provided for to providers. This kind of scenario was found to
contribute to early demise of the old people and hence the contribution of the aged to
the development of the country lessened. The research therefore recommended that
government should put up a policy aimed at assisting the extra burdened aged people.