Assessing Health-related Needs and Associated Factors among the Elderly in Hamadan City

ObjectivesThe increase in the older adult population is a public health challenge worldwide.The present study is designed and conducted as a cross-sectional study to identify the specific types of needs among the elderly population.Methods & Materials This cross-sectional study was conducted on 501 elderly subjects residing in western Iran (Hamadan Province).The data collection process consisted of four sections, including a demographic information questionnaire, the abbreviated mental test (AMT-10) test questionnaire for identifying the absence of dementia, cognitive impairment, the Barthel index questionnaire for measuring functional independence status, and finally, the Camberwell assessment of need for the elderly.The Stata software, version 17, was used for data analysis, considering a 95% confidence interval.Results The social dimension had the highest mean of met needs (15.980.15), the psychological dimension (66.930.7),and the physical dimension (91.041.8)had the lowest met need.For each one-year increase in age, the scores of met needs decrease by 0.05 units (95% confidence interval: -0.01, -0.08).The elderly with academic education had a higher score of met needs by 2.23 units (95% confidence interval: 1.40, 3.05).Furthermore, with an increase in self-rated health score, the average met needs also increased by 1.91 units (95% confidence interval: 2.63, 1.20).Conclusion The social and physical needs of the elderly, particularly in the areas of vision and hearing, are not being adequately met.Therefore, it is essential to increase the quantity and quality of comprehensive assessments of physical and psychosocial performance of the elderly annually in an integrated elderly care program.Incorporating educational programmes in the form of self-care skill packages is necessary for improving psychosocial and physical performance, especially in the elderly with a history of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases.To promote healthy and dynamic aging, it is essential to identify basic and immediate needs, continuously monitor progress, improve the quality and quantity of program services, and review the elderly care program.This requires upgrading specialized and trained human resources.Finally, future studies should assess the health-related needs of all elderly residents in the community, including those in long-term care facilities.