Perceived health status of geriatric population living in old age homes and their access to health care facilities

Abstract

Background and Objective: The elderly face various health challenges in later life as their immune defenses deteriorate leaving them quite vulnerable and frail. The situation becomes all the more desperate when the basic health support system is compromised or simply unavailable. This study has been conducted to assess the perceived health status of residents of local old-age homes and their access to available health services.Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 119 elderly subjects living in old age homes (OAHs) in Lahore city of Pakistan. Using the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire, health-related outcomes of the geriatric population were assessed under eight domains while a self-structured questionnaire was used to determine the level of available health care facilities.Results: The mean age of the study population was 69.88 ± 5.08 years The lowest mean score is observed in the pain domain i.e., 19.20 ± 12.12, whereas a little better score has been seen for emotional well-being i.e., (58.28 ± 26.58). Insufficient health care services have been regarded as a major issue for the elderly face in OAHs.Conclusion: The elderly population living in OAHs suffer from poor health status and face multiple barriers to accessing basic health care facilities.