Geriatric Healthcare Issues: A Public Health Perspective

JOURNAL TITLE: Annals of SBV

Author
1. Kalaivani Annadurai
2. Kalusivalingam Narayanasamy
3. Ranganathan Karnaboopathy
ISSN
2395-1982
DOI
10.5005/jp-journals-10085-8127
Volume
9
Issue
2
Publishing Year
2020
Pages
5
Author Affiliations
    1. Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India
    1. Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India
    1. Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India
  • Article keywords

    Abstract

    Introduction: Globally, life expectancy is continuously rising. As a result of it, various healthcare issues have arisen among the elderly population bringing forth unique challenges to the healthcare system. Aims and objectives: The aims and objectives of this review article were to explore the various health issues among the geriatric population in terms of physical, mental, psychosocial, and economic domains. Materials and methods: An extensive search of all materials related to the topic was done for 6 months (January to June 2018) in PubMed, WHO website, and Google Scholar search engines. Overall, 50 articles focusing on the different aspects of the health of the elderly, published in the period 1999 to 2017 were selected and analyzed. Results: The elderly tend to have multiple morbidities including a history of falls. Mental health illnesses and psychosocial issues were common among the elderly. Poor health-seeking behavior and healthcare utilization were also common among the elderly. Conclusion: The healthcare-related issues of the elderly are multifaceted viz medical, psychosocial, financial, etc. A multipronged approach is needed to tackle the health problems of the elderly.

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