Willingness to continue caregiving among informal caregivers of community-dwelling older persons in southwestern Nigeria

Background Informal caregiving of older persons is a time-consuming and demanding role often undertaken without preparation. Understanding a caregiver's willingness to continue is crucial for long-term care, especially in low-resource settings such as Nigeria. This study examined the factors influencing the willingness of informal caregivers of community-dwelling older persons to continue in their roles. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected from 554 informal caregivers using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The Caregiver Continuation Desire Scale (CCDS) questionnaire, Zarit Burden Interview, and a 15-item adopted physical status assessment tool for older persons were used to collect data and analysed using SPSS version 25 at p < 0.05. Results The mean age of the informal caregivers was 37.24 (± 12.54) years, most were female (83.6%), married (76.9%), and employed (93.5%). The mean age of the care recipients was 79.81 (± 12.28) years, and they were predominantly females (76.5%). Most of the informal caregivers (80.3%) were willing to continue caregiving. The predictors of this willingness were caregivers' perceived ability to care (OR = 4.36; 95% CI [2.19, 8.68]) and their satisfaction with the role (OR = 5.75; 95% CI [2.98, 11.08]). Conclusion The willingness of the informal caregivers to continue caregiving was strongly predicted by their perceived ability to care and their satisfaction with the role. This finding highlights the need for programs and resources that support and equip informal caregivers with skills and knowledge necessary to manage the demands of their roles effectively.