Author :
Sonisha Gupta, VK Arora, L Satyanarayana, OP Sharma, S Asthana
Volume :
3
Issue :
2
Abstract :
Background: Ageing is an inevitable physiological process. Old age is characterized by multiple physical and psychological ailments. To understand social and physical problems of elderly a cross-sectional study in a lower middle income society of Ghaziabad was carried out on 1000 elderly.
Method: A questionnaire covering socio-demographic profile and physical morbidities was used as a tool.
Results: Eighty two percent elderly belonged to 60-69 year age group. Forty one percent elderly were illiterate and 66% were financially dependent on others. Almost all elderly (96.3%) were affected by at least one physical ailment with joint pain and hypertension being most common morbidity. A large number of elderly (41.9%) were affected by some disability interfering with daily life, walking difficulty being most common disability.
Conclusion: Changing social structure and continuously increasing elderly population makes it imperative for Government to make policies to ensure dignified care of elderly considering their special needs.
Key words: Morbidity Profile, Elderly, Socioeconomic Status