Research Article

COUNSELLING NEEDS FOR CAREGIVERS WORKING WITH VULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS

Musbau Dare YUSUF1*, Jamila YUS1, Adekola Kamil LASISI1
1 Department of Educational Management and Counselling, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Nigeria.
* Corresponding author: musbaudare@gmail.com
Published: Jun, 2026
Pages: 116-123
Views: 13
Downloads: 14

Abstract

Caregivers who work with vulnerable older adults face multifaceted emotional, psychological, and practicalchallenges that can significantly impact their well-being and effectiveness in providing care. This paper exploresthe counselling needs of both formal and informal caregivers who support vulnerable older adults experiencingphysical frailty, chronic illness, cognitive decline, and social vulnerability. Sources of stress were identified:multimorbidity and care recipient healthy complexity, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, low socialsupport, lack of awareness or lack of support resources, among others. The caregiving role often exposesindividuals to distressing experiences such as witnessing the decline, chronic illness, or death of the older adultsin their care. These encounters may result in emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and diminished empathy,all of which negatively impact caregivers’ well-being. The following suggestions were made: Counsellors shouldprovide coping strategies such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural skills, and emotionalprocessing to reduce burnout and promote psychological resilience. Counsellors should equip caregivers withknowledge about ageing-related conditions, behavioural changes in older adults, communication techniques, andrealistic expectations. This empowers caregivers to understand the caregiving process better and reducesfrustration, fear, and helplessness. Counsellors should help caregivers to develop time-management skills, exploresocial support systems, and create healthy boundaries to manage role conflict and reduce role overload.Counsellors should help them process these emotions, prepare psychologically, and develop effective copingmechanisms during transitions or medical emergencies.

Keywords

Counselling Needs Caregivers Vulnerable Older Adults

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How to Cite

YUSUF, M. D., YUS, J., & LASISI, A. K. (2026). COUNSELLING NEEDS FOR CAREGIVERS WORKING WITH VULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS. Journal of Educational Research and Development, 21(1), 116-123.

M. D. YUSUF, J. YUS, and A. K. LASISI, "COUNSELLING NEEDS FOR CAREGIVERS WORKING WITH VULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS," Journal of Educational Research and Development, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 116-123, June 2026.

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