A Descriptive Study to Asses the Physical Health Problems of Elderly People in Selected Old Age Homes in Indore (M. P.)

Currently care in developing countries focuses on communicable diseases and little attention is paid to the needs of older adults. Health personnel need information and skills to manage the needs of older adults. The WHO has urged governments to develop policies and programme to support modifications of health priorities and service delivery to strength the family and community base to support health needs of older adults (Kumar 1999) In ancient India life span of one hundred years was divided into four stages; life of student, householder, forest dweller and ascetic. There was gradual move from personal, social to spiritual preoccupations with age. A descriptive survey approach was used to assess the physical health problems of old age persons in old age homes, the size of population included in the study were only 300 old age persons who have age of 80 and above. The study was conducted on Elderly People in SelectedOld Age Homes in Indore.There is a significant association between Sex 2 (1) =8.0, Living arrangement 2 (1) = 15.3, education status 2 (1) =19.2, monthly income 2 (1) =20.8, present occupation 2 (1) =18.9, personal bad habits 2 (1) =7.8 at 1 df p<0.05 and physical health problems of old age persons.There is no significant association between other variables like age group, marital status, dietary habits and previous occupation and physical health problems of old age persons.