Family Caregiving of Older Persons in Botswana Report

This report presents the findings of the first comprehensive study on family caregiving for older persons in Botswana. Drawing on the experiences of 80 older persons and their caregivers, the study examines how families sustain care in contexts marked by food, water and economic scarcity, limited formal support, and the continued effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The findings show that family care is carried primarily by adult daughters and is becoming increasingly fragile as caregivers face rising responsibilities alongside shrinking kin networks and constrained resources. Care needs extend beyond health conditions to encompass access to essential services such as water, food, transport, medication and medical supplies; where these are lacking, care demands intensify, particularly for afford necessary products and services. Although the universal Old Age Pension remains the main form of state support, coverage of programmes that address specific care needs, such as home-based care services and the disability cash transfer, remains limited. The study highlights the cumulative mental health strain experienced by both caregivers and older persons and underscores the urgent need for expanded, coordinated long-term care support. As Botswana finalises the Older Person’s Act and advances social protection reforms, the findings point to the need for government to prioritise and strengthen care for older persons amid growing economic, food and water insecurity.