Homiletical-liturgical perspectives on life in the Anthropocene: the preeminence of peoples cognition

Abstract

Older black people in South Africa stay a part of an extended family structure well into old age,irrespective of the family’s ability to provide the necessary care. South Africa’s (SA) under-developed infrastructure creates an increasing cause for concern as the size of the country’solder population is growing. The result is a persistent and wide-reaching disparity in access tosufficient geriatric care for older people, especially across racial lines, due to the formerApartheid regime and change in traditional African family contexts. The affiliated study formedpart of a larger research project. A qualitative descriptive design was employed to describe theexperiences, perceptions and attitudes of older black women regarding long-term care (LTC).Data were collected through two focus-group discussions and analysed thematically. Against thehistorical background of South Africa, an Ubuntu worldview, and a shift to a more modernAfrican society, it became evident that formal LTC is inaccessible, and that informal LTC can nolonger be provided by the younger generation and other extended family members. Among theparticipants, these two factors create significant ambivalence in having their future needs met