Expanding social protection opportunities for older people in Ghana : a case for strengthening traditional family systems and community institutions

The need to augment social protection arrangements to safeguard the wellbeing of older people now extends to societies beyond the borders of the welfare states of Europe. However, the emphasis seems to be on formal systems of support, with little attention paid to the extent to which the traditional family system and community structures could be enhanced to support this process. This study examines the relevance of the traditional family and community structures in providing social protection for older people using both quantitative and qualitative data. It is clear that the traditional family and community-based support arrangements remain a useful and reliable option for care and support of older people even if they are inadequate in some respects. We suggest that the traditional family system and community structures be strengthened through collaborative efforts of government and civil society for optimum social protection delivery for older people.