Social Work Approaches to Managing Elderly Persons in Institutional Care Settings in Kaduna State

The increasing number of elderly persons requiring institutional care in Nigeria demands professional social work management that prioritises dignity, rights, and quality of life. This study investigates social work approaches to managing elderly persons in institutional care settings in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, focusing on government-run and faith-based elderly homes in Kaduna Municipal and Zaria. A mixed-method survey design is employed, with 65 social workers, institutional managers, and elderly residents as respondents. Structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews are used for data collection, with descriptive statistics and thematic analysis employed in interpretation. The study finds that elderly persons in institutional care frequently experience social isolation, loss of autonomy, and inadequate access to healthcare, with social workers playing important but under-resourced roles in addressing these challenges. Person-centred care approaches are rarely systematically implemented due to the absence of trained gerontological social work specialists and formal care planning frameworks. Families of institutionalised elderly persons are generally not meaningfully engaged in care planning. Recommendations include developing geriatric social work as a recognised practice specialisation in Nigeria, training social workers in dignity-preserving institutional care management, and mandating the development of individual care plans for all persons in institutional elderly care. Keywords: elderly care, institutional settings, social work management, Kaduna State, gerontological practice