'We are left behind to suffer': examining the lived experiences of left-behind older adults in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

Using semi-structured interviews and sharing circles, this study explores the everyday experiences of older people left behind in Ghana's Upper West Region. A thematic analytical technique was used to analyse the data. Seven key themes emerged: access to social support; caregiving burden; abuse and discrimination; ill health; increased dependence on available institutional support programs; and personal coping strategies. Our findings suggest that the absence of adult children negatively affects older people left behind. We recommend more social welfare programs and a retooling of current social protection programs to meet the complex and evolving needs of older adults left behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]