CULTURAL PERCEPTION ON AGEING AMONG THE PEOPLE OF ESSIEN UDIM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

The main essence of the problem was to uncover the various perceptions of the aged invarious African societies today as some are seen from the negative perspective. The studywas conducted in Essien Udim to examine ageing and cultural perception in the Area. Themain objective was to examine the impact of cultural perceptions on the experiences andwellbeing amongst of the elderly in Essien Udim. The specific objectives were to examine thechallenges faced by the elderly, analyse the positive role of the elderly as custodians ofculture and tradition and to evaluate the effect of negative perceptions on the wellbeing of theelderly. The study was anchored on the activity theory and the disengagement theory. Thestudy adopted the survey research design. The population of the study was 87, 650 while thesample size was 300 which was determined using the Taro Yamane formula. The stratifiedrandom sampling was used, and the data were analysed qualitatively through the responsesobtained from respondents in the area. The findings indicated that many elderly individualsfaced humiliation, ostracism, and, in some cases, physical violence. Social exclusion wascommon, leading to strained familial ties and further marginalisation. Additionally, thestigma associated with these accusations damaged the elderly's social standing, deprivingthem of respect and dignity. The study highlighted the need for community education to shiftperceptions and promote respect for the elderly. Recommendations included educationalinitiatives by community leaders, stronger laws to protect the elderly from defamation andviolence, and collaborative campaigns between NGOs and local communities to challengeharmful stereotypes and advocate for the elderly's contributions. These interventions aim tofoster a more inclusive environment that values the elderly and enhances their well-being.