A study on the needs of elderly women for social assistance in Chennai's slums, Tamil Nadu
Keywords:
elderly women, social assistance, psychological conditions, economic background, chennai slums, elderly care centreAbstract
Background: The second-most populated nation in the world, India, has recently experienced a major demographic shift. Age-related population growth has tripled, and future projections indicate that this trend will continue. Older women are more prone to becoming widowed, being destitute, and being exposed to unfavorable circumstances, such as poor health.
Aim: The aim of this study is to identify the physical and mental health issues that older women face and finally to recommend appropriate solutions to improve those conditions.
Methodology: The elderly women aged 60 to 75, were sampled using probability proportionate to size in a home survey of six urban slums in Chennai. Their physical and mental health state and their risk factors for disease were evaluated using a systematic questionnaire and an interview schedule.
Results: It has been found that 60% of older women do not consume enough veggies. It is discovered that the feeling of loneliness is experienced by a large majority (84%) of elderly women. The majority of women don't exercise enough, which makes them more likely to get sick quickly.
Recommendation and Conclusion: The most pressing need right now is a Senior Citizen Care Center within the slum itself. The elderly who are in need of meaningful activities to fill their time could be gathered at this centre. They require a caregiver who can provide them with physical workouts and counselling sessions to improve their mental health in this centre.
References
Abel E, Kruger M. Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity, Psychological Science, 2010; 21:542-544.
Beall J. Participation in the city: where do women fit in? Gender & development, 1996; 4(1):9-16.
Bekhet AK, Zauszniewski JA. Mental health of elders in retirement communities: Is loneliness a key factor? Archives of psychiatric nursing, 2012; 26(3):214-224.
Bhat AK, Dhruvarajan R. Ageing in India: drifting intergenerational relations, challenges and options. Ageing & Society, 2001; 21(5):621-640.
Bookman A, Kimbrel D. Families and Elder Care in the Twenty-First Century. The Future of Children, 2011; 21(2):117-140. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41289632
Bruggencate T, Luijkx K, Sturm J. Social needs of older people: A systematic literature review. Ageing and Society, 2018; 38(9):1745-1770. doi:10.1017/S0144686X17000150
Giridhar G, Subaiya L, Verma S. Older women in India: Economic, social and health concerns. Increased Awarenes, Access and Quality of Elderly Services. BKPAI (Building Knowledge Base on Ageing in India), Thematic Paper, 2015, 2.
Gupta N. Older women in India: Issues and concerns. Ageing, health and development, 2013, 203-222.
Gupta N. Physical and Psychological Health of Older Women in Urban India. Indian Journal of Gerontology, 2015, 29(1).
Hiremath SS. The health status of rural elderly women in India: A case study. International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory, 2012, 5(3).
House James S, Landis Karl, Umberson Debra. Social Relationships and ealth. Science, 1988; 241:540-45.
Ingle GK, Nath A. Geriatric health in India: concerns and solutions. Indian Journal of Community Medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 2008; 33(4):214-218. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.43225
Johnson DB, Beaudoin S, Smith LT, Beresford SA, LoGerfo JP. Peer Reviewed: Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Homebound Elders: The Seattle Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Pilot Program. Preventing Chronic Disease, 2004, 1(1).
Jose J, Sekher TV. Health Status, Functional Disability and Quality of Life: An Assessment of Wellbeing of India’s Older Population. Retrieved, 2013.
Kumari RS. Socio-economic conditions, morbidity pattern and social support among the elderly women in a rural area. Sreekarym-Panchayat, India, 2001, 1-78.
Malhotra S, Shah R. Women and mental health in India: An overview. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2015; 57(Suppl 2):S205-S211. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019- 5545.161479
Morgan Garrett. Top 10 Reasons Exercise is Important for Senior Health, Corporate fitness and active ageing, 2014, Indianapolis, IN46202 Available at https://www.google.com/search?q=Morgan+Garrett+(2014)%2C+Top+10+Reasons+Exercise+is+Important+for+Senior+Health%2C+Oct+21%2C+2014&oq=Morgan+Garrett+(2014)%2C+Top+10+Reasons+Exercise+is+Important+for+Senior+Health%2C+Oct+21%2C+2014&aqs=chrome..69i57.1514j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 accessed on 21/11/2022
Naresh J, Pawar AB, Bansal RK. Main Life Concerns of Elderly in Urban Slums of Surat City, South Gujarat, India. National Journal of Community Medicine, 2012; 3(3):538-540.
Pandve HT, Deshmukh P. Health survey among elderly population residing in an urban slum of Pune city. J Indian Acad Geriatr, 2010; 6(1):5-8.
Penedo FJ, Dahn JR. Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Current opinion in psychiatry, 2005; 18(2):189-193.
Ramachandran R, Radhika R. Socioeconomic status of elderly women in India and Japan. Indian Journal of Social Work, 2006; 67(3):275.
Robertson T, Batty GD, Der G, Fenton C, Shiels PG, Benzeval M. Is socioeconomic status associated with biological aging as measured by telomere length? Epidemiologic reviews, 2013; 35(1):98-111.
Sachdeva S, Sachdev TR, Sachdeva R. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption: challenges and opportunities. Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 2013; 38(4):192-197. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.120146
Shajahan S. A study on psycho social problems among elderly with special reference to selected old age homes. Silently enjoying the pain, 100(48), 52.
Tsai HH, Tsai YF. Changes in depressive symptoms, social support, and loneliness over 1 year after a minimum 3-month videoconference program for older nursing home residents. Journal of medical Internet research, 2011; 13(4):e1678.
Udhayakumar P, Ponnuswamy I. Informal Care Received by Elderly Residingin Slums of Tiruchirappalli District, Tamilnadu, India. Research Journal of Recent Sciences, 2012; 1(1):15-18.
Wadhwa A, Sabharwal M, Sharma S. Nutritional status of the elderly. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 1997; 106:340-348.
Elora Hilmas, PharmD. What Medicines Are and What They Do, Teens Health, 2018. Available at https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/meds.html, Accessed on 21/11/2022.
