Grandparents Fostering Orphans: Influences of Protective Factors on Their Health and Well-Being

In this study the authors explore the impact of protective factors on the health and well-being of grandmothers who are primary caregivers. Although researchers in Africa have studied grandparents who assume primary caregiving responsibilities, it is rare that they do so from a strength perspective, hence the need to examine the utility of personal, social, and environmental assets on caregiving. Grandmothers are the primary caregivers of orphaned children due to HIV and AIDS deaths; thus it becomes pertinent to establish how they are coping without the provision of social security. The results of this study will be beneficial to all stakeholders interested in the welfare of elders with similar responsibilities. Knowledge about the health and well-being of grandmothers who are caregivers will assist public service and private sectors to formulate viable policies concerning elderly carers who foster orphans, particularly in countries with high HIV prevalence.