Assessment of Older People's Access to Health Care Facilities in Nigeria

Access to health care in later life depends on more than the physical presence of a clinic or hospital. This conceptual review assesses the access of older people to health care facilities in Nigeria, focusing on rural and underserved communities. Using Andersen’s behavioral model, predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, health needs and service conditions that shape health care use are examined. The review identified financial hardship, distance and transport, staff and medicine shortages, inaccessible buildings, fragmented referrals, weak social support, limited information, distrust, and ageism as interconnected barriers. These constraints can delay diagnosis, interrupt treatment, increase household costs, and reduce independence. The article argues that a meaningful assessment must combine service-use statistics with older people’s accounts of affordability, dignity, communication, continuity, and functional accessibility. It recommends integrating age-responsive care into primary healthcare, expanding financial protection, strengthening outreach and referrals, improving facility design, supporting caregivers while respecting autonomy, and involving older people in monitoring services. Health care becomes genuinely accessible only when older people can access, afford, understand, trust, and continue using appropriate care