Residential Facilities for Older Persons

South Africa's population aged 60 years or older is expected to increase from 7.7% to 15.4% of the total population, from an estimated 4.2 million people in 2015 to 10.1 million people over the next 35 years. Currently there are an estimated 1,150 residential facilities for older persons, but only 415 of these are registered with the Department of Social Development, and only eight are state-managed and fully subsidised by the government. Countrywide there are also more than 1,000 private residential facilities and retirement villages where residents are responsible for the full cost of their accommodation.

Growing Demand for Affordable Accommodation

The growing demand for affordable and secure housing for senior citizens is a major challenge that government, non-government organisations (NGOs) and faith-based organisations (FBOs) are struggling to satisfy. As a result, many elderly people requiring accommodation have to live in unlicensed and unregulated facilities that do not comply with the provisions of the Older Persons Act. There is also a shortage of trained professional nurses and staff who are skilled to take care of older people which has resulted in incidents of neglect, abuse and even the deaths of residents in some residential facilities for older persons.

Report Coverage

The report on Residential Facilities for Older Persons describes current conditions and the findings and recommendations of the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) investigative report into residential care. Factors influencing the success of the sector, especially the increasing importance of donor contributions, are also included. The report profiles 26 organisations ranging from regional bodies like Free State Care in Action (FSCA) and Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (NOAH) in the Western Cape to the Residentia Foundation which operates 15 facilities in seven provinces.