Clinical Profile of Elderly Women in a Rural Area and the Impact of Health Service Camps

Abstract Background: The elderly population is increasing, placing a greater strain on the healthcare system. In India, 71% of older adults live in rural areas. Elderly women outnumber men and face challenges related to the availability, affordability, and accessibility of health care. Understanding their profiles is essential to addressing these issues. This paper provides an overview of elderly women who visited our monthly camp, “Reaching the Unreached.” Objectives: To assess the clinicodemographic profile and the impact of our camps on elderly women residing in rural areas who visit our camps for healthcare services. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly women visiting the camps in Arjunagi village Results: A total of 100 elderly women were included, with a mean age of 67.38 ± 7.1 years. The majority were aged 60–74 years (84). The most common chronic conditions were hypertension (39), osteoarthritis of the knee (31), anemia (23), diabetes mellitus (19), and ischemic heart disease (11). Notably, 13 women reported no chronic diseases. Key symptoms included knee pain (31), generalized weakness (21), breathlessness (14), backache (11), and giddiness (7). The camp detected new cases of anemia (10), hypertension (8), cataract (7), diabetes mellitus (1), and ischemic heart disease (1). Conclusion: The study highlighted the health conditions prevalent among elderly rural women and their health-seeking behavior. It also demonstrated that elderly rural women bear a high burden of chronic illnesses and face barriers to healthcare services. This study underscores the critical need for community-based, gender-sensitive geriatric health interventions in rural areas. Strengthening such outreach programs, in collaboration with local governance, medical institutions, and nongovernmental organizations, may play a pivotal role in addressing inequities in geriatric health care and promoting healthy ageing in resource-limited rural communities.