Resilience of grandparent carers fostering orphans in Zimbabwe

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa, grandparents are primary providers of care to orphaned children from HIV. This study sought to explore resilience profiles of grandparents fostering orphans and the impact of resources on the grandparents’ health and well-being. Participants were 327 grandparents looking after their grandchildren (mean age=62.4; s.d=11.2). Data were collected from grandparents residing in rural areas, urban low and high density suburbs of Zimbabwe. Mixed methods approaches (quantitative and qualitative) were used to gather data and systematic sampling was used to select grandparents’ carers. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression and thematic analysis. Nvivo 10 was used to classify qualitative data into themes. Hierarchical regression controlling for age, education, marital status, income earned, residential area, and whether child fostered was orphan or non-orphan was used to identify protective factors associated with resilience, health and wellbeing to establish grandparents’ ability to cope with caregiving. Preliminary findings suggest that grandparents’ resilience profiles differ by social class, age, social assets, environmental and personal assets. Protective factors were found to play a vital role in resilience, health and wellbeing (a strength based perspective), hence caregiving. The resilience scores, health scores and low wellbeing scores highlight the need for assistance to grandparents to enable them to cope adequately with carer roles. Policy makers should formulate viable policies that address elderly caregivers’ challenges and stakeholders should implement appropriate intervention.