The HIV and AIDS pandemic in Botswana is having a devastating effect on
families and disintegrating traditional family structures. The high HIV infection and
AIDS related death rate among youth who are economically and socially the productive
sector of the population, has forced older adults into the care of AIDS infected and
affected family members. As a result, older adults are becoming the main caregivers
instead of care receivers. The purpose of this study was to explore the stressors and
coping strategies of these older adult caregivers in Botswana.
The study adopted a case study methodology and used a purposive sampling
technique to recruit eight older adult caregivers in Botswana who were age 65 and older
and were caring for AIDS orphans. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted
with the participants. To bring out the uniqueness of each participant, a detailed
description was provided with a focus on the history and sequence of events that led
older adults to assume care-giving responsibilities. A within-case analysis was
performed to identify themes in each case and a cross-case analysis was also conducted
by establishing and comparing cases with common themes.
The findings of this study revealed that older adult caregivers faced four main
challenges, which were identified as health issues, financial problems, food insecurity,
and stigma and discrimination. According to these findings, participants coped with the
challenges of care-giving by depending on social intervention programs such as free
healthcare services and monthly food baskets for orphans. The study concludes with
recommendations and suggestions for further research.