The problem that was chosen to be investigated, was that, within the white middle class South African white-collar worker there appears to be a tendency to live for the "pie in the sky" - which for most seems to be retirement to the idyllic cottage by the sea. Within the South African scenario, there seems to be a definite lack of career planning or at least planning for retirement, other than the financial emphasis. Upon reaching the "ultimate" retirement, retirees take their pension money and move to the coast, expecting pure bliss. The result of their lack of forethought is that they settle in a totally different climate, away from the support of family and friends, possibly finding their income inadequate, with the result that many fall seriously ill, and then discover a lack of geriatric care or a hospital at the time in their lives when they need it the most. The aim of the research was to investigate these issues using a specific location - Port Alfred, researching the fact that Port Alfred continues to be a retirement haven, despite appearing to lack the necessary facilities required by the elderly. The method of the research was to initially administer a pilot questionnaire to a few elderly residents at random, which was then followed up by the formal personally administered questionnaire to a sample. The sample of retired elderly residents in Port Alfred was chosen at random primarily from the various old age homes in Port Alfred. This questionnaire was administered in 1983 but due to financial and personal reasons, the results were not written up. In 1990, the research was continued with a further questionnaire being administered in 1991. The research direction was altered slightly to identify not only what resources were felt to be lacking, but also to identify how well the retired persons of Port Alfred had managed their transition to retirement. The results showed some similarity between the 1983 and the 1991 research. On the surface the retirees appeared well-adjusted and content, but when it was delved deeper, they appeared to have opted out of making any great effort to change their situation, but rather had taken the view that they had earned their rest, would make the best of what they had, and leave it to someone else to champion their cause. This meant that they relied heavily upon those in their community to meet their obvious needs. The promised hospital that they had arduously raised funds for had not materialised, and that seemed to have been the last effort that they had been prepared to make, they were now at rest. The conclusion was that, although the retirees had made the best of their situation, this definitely did not mean that their resources were adequate. Various charities and social services were at work in the community to redress the imbalance, but it was felt that these would in turn benefit by the addition of a social worker. This social worker would coordinate these services and take responsibility for the community at large, particularly addressing the need to unify the services with those to the large non-White community, in the (on-going) development of the New South Africa

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a pastoral care strategy for the affirmation of the dignity of the poor Black older persons. In this study there is a discussion of how the poor Black older persons suffered the defacement of their dignity under Apartheid and how to a large extent their dignity is still being defaced under the new democratic dispensation in South Africa. These poor Black older persons are victims of various forms of older person abuse. They experience the prejudice of ageism intensely as it is exacerbated by racism; and with no appropriate medical and health strategies in place to provide quality health care; and with inappropriate housing, social services, and residential care services, their dignity is denied. Due to past discriminatory laws and policies these vulnerable older persons suffer the consequences of low levels of formal education within an environment of engineered poverty and racial discrimination which made it impossible for them to enter into quality employment which would enable them to provide adequately for old age. The deprivation thus experienced made it difficult for them to flourish economically and otherwise. At present they are still marginalised and they experience intense forms of loneliness. These poor Black older persons continue to suffer humiliation and indignity in spite of legislation and policies purporting to ensure their well-being. Within a society embracing a neo-liberalist philosophy they are considered unimportant as they do not contribute productively to the economic well-being of the community and are therefore relegated to the lowest ranks of society. With the effacement of their dignity through socially constructed systems their human development is seriously hampered, resulting in a disintegration of human wholeness. The inequality that the poor Black older persons suffer is an indictment against humanity as these older persons have the right to feel at home on the planet. Due to the fact that they are not recognised as having been created in the image and likeness of God, their uniqueness and distinctness as human beings are denied, their identities distorted, and they are not considered worthy citizens. In order to affirm the dignity of the poor Black older persons a practical theological methodology as proposed by Osmer (2008) and consisting of four tasks, has been employed. The notion of a moral economy for the affirmation of the dignity of these poor Black older persons has been utilised. With the moral economy orientation linked with a Liberation Theology methodology the dignity of the poor Black older persons is affirmed as a personal attribute based on the older persons being a category of people being carried into old age by God, enjoying privileged positions of honour and respect, and being eschatological signs and symbols of God’s goodwill towards restored communities in Christ. Within a moral economy the values of reciprocity, responsibility, and interdependence are used to affirm the dignity of these older persons intergenerationally and contextually. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is ʼn pastorale sorg strategie vir die bevestiging van die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone. In hierdie studie word daar aangedui hoe die arm Swart ouer persone se menswaardigheid onder Apartheid en in ‘n groot mate in die nuwe demokratiese dispensasie geskend is. Die arm Swart ouer persone het die slagoffers geword van verskeie vorms van misbruik. Die diskriminasie teen ouderdom word intensief deur hulle ervaar soos dit vererger word deur rassisme; en met geen behoorlike mediese en gesondheidstrategieë in plek om in die behoefte van hierdie kwesbare ouer persone te voorsien nie; en met gebrekkige behuising, sosiale dienste en onvoldoende plekke van sorg vir ouer mense, is die menswaardigheid van hierdie ouer mense erg misken. Weens historiese diskriminerende wette en regeringbeleid ly hierdie kwesbare ouer persone die gevolge van lae vlakke van formele opvoeding binne ‘n omgewing waar armoede kunsmatig geskep is en waar rassediskriminasie geheers het. Hierdie omstandighede het dit vir hulle onmoontlik gemaak om kwaliteit werk te kry wat hulle in staat sou stel om toepaslik vir die ouderdom voor te berei. Die ontberinge wat gevolglik gely word, maak hulle ekonomiese en andersydse ontwikkeling onmoontlik. Hulle is gemarginaliseerd en ly aan intense eensaamheid. Hierdie arm Swart ouer persone gaan voort om vernedering en onmenswaardighede te ly ongeag van wetgewing en beleidstukke bedoel vir hul welsyn. Binne die gemeenskap wat ‘n neoliberalisties filosofie aanvaar, word hierdie ouer mense misken omdat hulle nie produktief tot die ekonomiese welvaart van die gemeenskap bydra nie, en daarom word hulle beskou as sonder enige sosiale kapitaal wat hulle dan sosio-ekonomies op die laagste vlak van die gemeenskap sonder enige erkenning van hulle menswaarde en menswaardigheid plaas. Met die skending van hul menswaardigheid deur sosiaal gekonstrueerde sisteme word hul menslike opbloei ernstig gestrem wat lei tot die disintegrasie van menslike heelheid binne die demokratiese bestel van die Republiek van Suid- Afrika. Die ongelykheid wat die arm Swart ouer mense ly is ‘n klag teen die mensdom omdat hierdie ouer mense ontuis voel op die planeet. Hierdie groep is na die beeld van God geskape, maar hulle uniekheid en besondersheid word miskien. Om die menswaardigheid van hierdie arm Swart ouer mense na te gaan, is ’n praktiese teologiese metodologie gebruik soos voorgestel deur Osmer (2008) en word die vier teologiese take soos deur hierdie metodologie voorgestel, gevolg. Betreffende die vierde taak van hierdie metodologie is die konsep van ’n morele ekonomie gebruik vir die bevestiging van die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone. Met die skakel van hierdie morele ekonomiese oriёntering met die Bevrydingsteologiese metodologie is die menswaardigheid van die arm Swart ouer persone bevestig as ’n persoonlike eienskap gebaseer of die feit dat hulle ’n kategorie van mense is wat deur God in die ouderdom gedra word, wat dan bevoorregte posisies van eer en respek geniet as eskatologiese tekens en simbole van God se toegeneëntheid teenoor herstelde gemeenskappe in Christus. Binne ’n morele ekonomie word die waardes van wedersydsheid, verantwoordelikheid, en interafhanklikheid gebruik om die menswaardigheid van hierdie ouer mense intergenerasioneel en kontekstueel te bevestig.

Transport forms an essential element of people's lives. It is transport which determines how people access important resources and it influences the mobility of people. Transport availability improves access to resources and hence fights isolation, which derives from lack of access to resources. This case study examines the influence of transport on access to state grants and health services. The study was based on sample of 170 recipients of state grants and was carried out in September 2000. A quantitative survey through face-to-face interviews of pensioners and other recipients of state grants at two remote rural points was carried out. The results of the study showed that poor road and path infrastructure impacts negatively on old people's access to pension payout points and health services. As a result of poor road infrastructure, people have limited access to alternative means of transport and hence have to pay too much for transport to reach services essential to their livelihoods. In addition to the transport cost these elderly have to pay, they also have an extra burden of having to care for the orphans and unemployed adults staying with them. This puts an enormous pressure on their limited resources and hence deepens the cycle of poverty. The majority of people interviewed were positive about the quality of health service they are receiving and the attitude of health workers. There was no correlation between the quality of services received and the demand for using them. Amongst other things, it has been suggested that locating basic services particularly welfare services and health services nearer rural communities will improve the quality of life and minimize the cost of reaching such services. Furthermore infra structural intervention will impact positively on rural communities by providing them with a wider choice of transport and promoting intermediate means of transport. This will have a positive impact on rural communities by increasing the accessibility of services and improving mobility. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

M.A. (Psychology) / The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of career involvement on the psycho-social well-being of the aged. An attempt was made to establish whether there would be any significant differences in life satisfaction, depression and self-concept, between economically active and non-active elderly persons. The research design was of an ex post facto nature. The sample consisted of 128 subjects between the ages of 60 and 80 years and was drawn from a middle to upper socio-economic population in the Witwatersrand area. Fifty of the respondents were still employed full-time, 16 were employed part-time and 62 were retired. Persons who reported poor physical health were excluded from the study. The Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale of Salamon and Conte and the Affect Balance Scale of Bradburn were used as measures of life satisfaction; the Centre for Epidemiological StudiesDepression Scale was used to measure depression and Vrey's Selfconcept Scale was used to measure self-concept. One way and two way analysis of variance were used to test the hypotheses...

In South Africa prior to 1994, community-based care and support services were established for whites only. The majority of older African (black) persons received informal support from their adult children and relatives. This has waned over the years due to the social and economic changes that have put into doubt the continued viability of such support. The Older Persons Act of 2006 requires social workers to establish community-based care and support services for older persons. Hence, the study was conducted to understand the factors that influence social workers in establishing CBCSS for older persons in Bloemfontein in the Free State Province. A qualitative research method was undertaken to accomplish the goal of the study. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to identify suitable participants. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen social workers who provide services to older persons. The data was analysed through Tesch’s (cited by Creswell, 2009:186) eight steps of qualitative analysis and data verification was conducted following Guba’s (Kreftling, 1991) model. The major finding is that there is a need for social workers to specialise in older persons programmes (gerontology). For the programmes to be a success, it is recommended that the Department of Social Development (DSD) strive to retain social workers who are knowledgeable and experienced in older persons programmes. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science)

In South Africa prior to 1994, community-based care and support services were established for whites only. The majority of older African (black) persons received informal support from their adult children and relatives. This has waned over the years due to the social and economic changes that have put into doubt the continued viability of such support. The Older Persons Act of 2006 requires social workers to establish community-based care and support services for older persons. Hence, the study was conducted to understand the factors that influence social workers in establishing CBCSS for older persons in Bloemfontein in the Free State Province. A qualitative research method was undertaken to accomplish the goal of the study. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to identify suitable participants. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen social workers who provide services to older persons. The data was analysed through Tesch’s (cited by Creswell, 2009:186) eight steps of qualitative analysis and data verification was conducted following Guba’s (Kreftling, 1991) model. The major finding is that there is a need for social workers to specialise in older persons programmes (gerontology). For the programmes to be a success, it is recommended that the Department of Social Development (DSD) strive to retain social workers who are knowledgeable and experienced in older persons programmes. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / This research document seeks to outline the future of older people in HIV/AIDS-prevalent South Africa. The research report examined literature which assisted the researcher in understanding how older people‘s lives and standard of living has evolved due to HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The research report was focused on providing answers to the following questions: i) What are the factors that need to be addressed now to ensure a favourable future for older people in HIV/Aids prevalent South Africa? ii) What are the institutions responsible for ensuring a favourable future for older people in HIV/AIDS prevalent South Africa? The questions will be focused on 2040, from 2010 to 2040. In order to address the abovementioned questions the researcher made use of scenario planning supported by the biomatrix theory approach and causal layered analysis. Firstly, through input from the literature review and scenario team interviews, analysis of drivers of change was conducted. This reviewed secondary literature that was sourced from reports, case studies, publications and others. The focus of this paper was based on older people, HIV/AIDS and the future. Factors including change in family structure, care and respect for older people, government social grant, participation in policy formulation, education levels, employment and poverty were identified as driving forces that have an impact on older people in HIV/AIDS prevalent South Africa. Secondly, Biomatrix theory was used to map the problems associated with the driving forces mentioned above. This mapping was also used to prioritise the level of impact on problems associated with the driving forces. Two driving forces with the highest impact and uncertainties were identified as care and respect for older people as well as participation in policy formulation. A scenario quadrant was also mapped. The latter lead to four scenarios: The silver queen bee, the red queen bee, the black queen bee, and lastly the golden queen bee. Possible ideals and strategies were discussed as findings with a focus on the two key drivers of change that lead to the four alternative futures. Lastly, summary and recommendations are discussed in the final chapter.

This paper describes a participatory action research project involving a group of the aged from the Makgoba community. The focus of this study was the establishment ofa service centre by the rural aged. In the course of this project, the researcher discovered how the rural aged were empowered through the participatory action research process. This process enabled the aged to accomplish their goals, and so to grow and develop. In particular, they improved their lives, and enhanced their self esteem and dignity. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science : Mental Health)

This paper describes a participatory action research project involving a group of the aged from the Makgoba community. The focus of this study was the establishment ofa service centre by the rural aged. In the course of this project, the researcher discovered how the rural aged were empowered through the participatory action research process. This process enabled the aged to accomplish their goals, and so to grow and develop. In particular, they improved their lives, and enhanced their self esteem and dignity. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science : Mental Health)

Continuous reforms of pension systems of countries of the world remain significant considering the fact that many countries, including South Africa, face challenges of how to adequately provide for their ageing populations. South Africa’s retirement system takes a formal three-pillar approach; comprising the state old-age pension, occupational funds, and private savings. Pension provision (occupational) takes the form of retirement funds which are mostly established by employers, administered by insurance companies, and regulated by the state through legislation. South Africa does not have a public fund and relies solely on the private retirement system. Many workers in South Africa retire with no income or with insufficient benefits and end up relying on the state for support. The reasons for this include a general lack of a culture of saving, the absence of a public fund, the voluntary nature of the system, leakages that exist within the system, a lack of mandatory preservation of benefits, risks with lump-sum cash payments, and the fact that the system focuses more on those in formal employment. This raises the question whether the system is in line with what is guaranteed by section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 that everyone has a right to have access to social security. The right guarantees “everyone” access to some form of income (protection) during retirement, which makes retirement provision an important social security component. Thus, pensions play an important social security role as they protect the elderly from falling into poverty. Benefits received from retirement savings serve as income replacement in retirement and should therefore receive adequate protection, and they must be able to provide adequate protection to the beneficiaries – beyond mere survival. Over the years South Africa has embarked on many reform processes to find ways to improve its retirement system. This study determines the adequacy of South Africa’s occupational retirement system along social security objectives. It describes the nature of the system, considers proposals made for reform purposes, examines international law, (including systems in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom for a comparative study), identifies weaknesses in the system, and makes some proposals to improve coverage and protection of benefits. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.