Gerontology & Geriatric Research

Abstract

Graying of the Nation: A Curse or Boon?

Srivastava K, Sharma Parul, Gupta SC, Kaushal SK and Chaturvedi M

Background: We will all grow old one day- if we have that privilege. Let us therefore look at older persons not as people separate from us, but as our future selves and try to find out their sufferings.
 
Objectives: To study the psychosocial problems of aged persons residing in community and to make comparison of above findings among urban and urban slum area.
 
Material and methods: A cross-sectional study carried out in the field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine in Agra (U.P.). A total of 500 elderly patients (60 years old and above) residing in urban and urban slum area were interviewed using a pre-tested schedule. Findings were described in terms of proportions, percentages and chi-square (X2) was used as test of significance.
 
Results: Majority of study subjects (59.6%) were in 60-69 years age group. 28.4% were having sad attitude towards life and most common reason for this was illness in urban and poverty in urban slum area. Most common psychosocial problem came out to be feeling of loneliness (41.8%) followed by feeling of neglect from family and society (30% and 24.4%).
 
Conclusion: Aged suffers from various psychosocial problems so the need of hour is not only to treat them for physical ailments only but also to provide emotional support which can be best done by their own families, so aware them that they too will pass through this phase and make them empathic for their old ones.