ABSTRACT
The majority of older people in Namibia live in the community rather than in institutional settings, and most are cared for by their families. However, with the breakdown of the extended family system, there have been increasing calls for community-based interventions to enhance the care of older people. Informal caregivers work in isolation in complex circumstances without support, which creates further stress as the number of older people in the population increases. This chapter examines a support group program for caregivers as one means of intervening to ensure adequate community care for elderly people within a developmental welfare model. The chapter begins with a brief history on the development of social work and formal social services in Namibia before moving to examine the support group intervention.
