The Impact of a Social Assistance Program on the Quality of Life of Older People in Uganda

Abstract

This study explores the impact of social assistance on older persons’ quality of life in a Ugandan district. The purpose of the study is to establish how older persons aged above 65 years provide their livelihood in the wake of declining and waning informal family/clan/society support systems. These systems have been the source of their care for a long time. The study therefore examines how the recipients of the grant manage their everyday life amid changing norms in reciprocal care. The study is based on two focus group discussions with 13 older grant beneficiaries and four in-depth interviews with key participants affiliated with the social assistance scheme. The study’s main results include themes such as fulfilling basic needs, start-up capital and credit worthiness, supplementary income, and respite from isolation and loneliness. The study shows positive changes in the lives of older persons and a notable relative improvement in the standards of living of older persons in beneficiary districts.