Study Highlights
A study among a section of senior citizens living in parts of south Kolkata, Salt Lake and New Town also revealed 20.7% of them live alone and 10.5% needed emergency hospitalisation. Banchbo Healing Touch Foundation (BHTF), an organisation dealing with elderly members, had included 358 elderly for the study. The study said 52% of them were found to with their spouses and 27.4% lived with family. Most of the BHTF members who were considered for the study were between the age of 71 and 90, placing the majority within an age-group where chronic disease, functional limitations, social vulnerability and the need for sustained care become increasingly important. Hypertension was the most prevalent condition, affecting 81.8% of them followed by diabetes, hypothyroidism, ischemic heart diseases. The cognitive health front condition, however, was found comparatively better with 79% showing no cognitive impairment, while the study recorded moderate impairment in 8.7%, subjective impairment in 6%, dementia in 4.2%, depression in 1.1% and Alzheimer’s disease in 0.6%. The study also found that 15% of members had a caregiver, highlighting the important role of trained caregivers within the ageing-care ecosystem.
Doctors said elderly care must not be confined only within the four walls of the hospital, it is equally important within the community. The quality of life will to a large extent depend on the care received after discharge from hospital,” said Arunansu Talukdar, the head of geriatric medicine at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. Kolkata: Acute respiratory distress, high fever, domestic fall and non-specific chest pain emerged as top reasons for health emergency calls by the elderly citizens living in Kolkata. Findings on various parameters of health and security issues faced by senior citizens were presented during a recently concluded conference on geriatrics care in the city. “We are treating patients in a hospital when the illness is acute. Once patients go back home, it is important to continue the care. They could be patients of diabetes, heart failure, dementia or stroke.