Factors Affecting Elderly Health and Elderly Health Policies in Nepal

1. Factors affecting Elderly Health
Mohammad Aslam Shaiekh
School of Health & Allied Science (SHAS)
Pokhara University (P.U)
MPH-3rd Batch
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2. Contents:
 Introduction
 Physiological, Biological, Psychological & Social
Changes
 Elderly Health Problems
 Preventions and Policies
 Conclusions
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3. INTRODUCTION
 Old Age: Period of life when impairment of physical and mental
functions become increasingly manifested in comparison to the
previous year of life.
 According to WHO : most developed countries have accepted the
chronological age of 65 years and above as a definition of “Elderly” or
Older persons
 According to UN : 60+ years will be referred as the older population or
elderly
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4. INTRODUCTION Cont…….
 It is a Progressive and generalized impairment of body functions
resulting in loss of adaptive response to stress and increasing the risk of
age related diseases.
 Old age is not a disease but a normal and inevitable biological
phenomenon.
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5. Changes due to Elder: Biological
 Aging - a process of deterioration in the functional capacity
of organism that occurs after maturity resulting from structural
changes.
 Aging means predictable, progressive, universal deterioration
in various physiological systems, mental and physical,
behavioral and biomedical.
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6. Physiological Changes in Aging:
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7. Psychological and Social Changes in
old age:
Psychological Changes in Old Age Social Changes in Old Age
Life Satisfaction Widowhood
Loneliness Retirement
Adjustment and Well-being Loss of Social Status
Cognitive Changes Ageism and Generation gaps
Loss of Memories and
Aggressiveness
Change in family and living
arrangement
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8. Elderly Health Problems: Social
Problems
 Abuse : Physical Abuse, Psychological and emotional abuse, financial
and material abuse, Sexual abuse,
 Dependency : Physical, financial, functional other dependency
 Neglectancy : the refusal or failure to fulfil a care giving obligation
 Insecurity
 Inadequate Rehabilitation services
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9. Physical and Psychological Problems
Physical Problems Psychological Problems
Visual Complaints Alziemers disease
Eye Problems (Cataract, Galoucoma, Blindness,
Retinopathy, deafness)
Depressions
Skin Problems like scabies, alopecia, baldness,
blistering, scaly lessions, senile wrinkles)
Anxiety, sleeping disorder, feeling guilty,
appetite, retardations,
Hearing Loss Delirium
Muscular Problems (Locomotor disability,
fracture, mobility problems)
Schizophrenia, personality, suicide and
deliberate self harm
Neurological Problems(dementia, parkinsons
disease, Alzheimer disease)
Physical discomfort
Respiratory disease (Chronic bronchitis, asthama,
emphysema, COPD, Hypoxia, Pneumonias)
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10. Impact on Demographic Transition
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11. Determinants of Acting Ageing
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12. Risk Factors of Elderly Health
 Gender and Culture
 Social Services and Social Networking
 Health Systems
 Economic Factors (Income, Work and Social Protection)
 Factors in Physical Environment
 Personal Factors (Smoking habits)
 Psychosocial factors
 Non-Modifiable risk factors
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13. Health Service Factors
 Health promotion and disease prevention
 Curative services
 Long term care
 Mental health services
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14. Behavioral Determinants
 Tobacco use
 Physical activity
 Healthy eating
 Oral health
 Alcohol
 Medications
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15. Personal and Physical Determinants
Personal factors
 Biology and Genetics
 Psychological factors
Physical environments
 Safe housing
 Falls
 Clean water, clean air and safe foods
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16. Social and Economical Factors
Social Environment
 Social support
 Violence and abuse
 Education and literacy
Economic Environment
 Income
 Social protection
 Work
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17. Social and Economical Factors
Social Environment
 Social support
 Violence and abuse
 Education and literacy
Economic Environment
 Income
 Social protection
 Work
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18. Risk Factors that affect psychosocial
function of elderly health
 Poor physical health
 Impaired functional abilities
 Poor social supports
 Lack of economics and resources
 The occurrences of unanticipated events
 The occurrences of several daily hassles at the same time
 The occurrences of several major life events in a short period of time
 High social status and higher feelings of self efficacy in situations that cannot be
changed
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19. 2002 Senior Citizens Policy’s Objectives
 To recognize the knowledge, skill and expertise of the senior citizens to utilize in
development plans and programs
 To enact new legislation or amend or review the existing one necessary to legally
guarantee social security of the senior citizens and their right and interests.
 To initiate programs to orient a person, family, institution, association, and
stakeholders to give respect to senior citizens in the family and society
 To introduce a national pension scheme, create a social security fund, initiate
programs like the elderly home, day care centers, senior citizen clubs, old age
allowance, mobile health clinics and systematize the programs operated so far.
 To establish a central level committee for integrating, coordinating and monitoring
the programs related to senior citizens. The local bodies coordinate senior citizen
programs in each district
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20. Interim Plan(2007-2010)
 Develop legal and institutional mechanism to ensure welfare and right of senior
citizens
 Expands old age homes, allowance and other economic social security
programs with reviewing the programs and modalities followed by
governmental and non-governmental agencies
 Provide special facilities to elderly people in the hospitals and public transports
 Formulate policies to respect and utilize the knowledge, skills and experiences
of senior citizen in nation development and social transformation
 Inspire and motivate local government, private sector and civil society
organizations to provide appropriate services and facilities to senior citizens
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21. 2062 National Plan of Action for senior
citizens
It has been divided into different part
 economic aspect (to strengthen the economic condition of the
senior citizens)
 social security (to make citizen’s old age more secured and easier)
 health and nutrition (to provide health service facility in an easy
manner)
 participation and involvement
 education and entertainment aspect
 legal condition and reform
 Miscellaneous
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22. 2006 Social security and protection of
senior citizen Act
 Define the term helpless senior citizen includes no means of income, no
family member, been banished from the family
 Provision that health centre have to provide health service by giving
priority in 50% discount (those health center ,prescribe by the
government)
 Provision that there should be established District Senior Citizen Welfare
committee, Senior Citizen Welfare Fund, Day Care Service Center for
senior citizens .
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23. Ensuring supportive and enabling
environment
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 Recently senior citizen act protects elderly people from neglect,
abuse and violence of the family members. However social
protection as a whole under the government system is not
provisioned.
 There are very few organizations of elderly people and most of
them are in urban areas. Children and youth are not yet
mobilized on ageing issues. School curriculum does not contain
this issue as social issues and obligation of state and family
members.
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24. What can we do for Better health of
Elderly
 Maintaining up to date records of senior citizens in VDC/municipality level twice a year
 Granting monthly allowance to the senior citizens
 Establishment of geriatric ward in central and regional office to provide care on
subsidized rate
 Establishment of elderly home in each of the developmental region
 Reservation of seats and concessions in tickets to senior citizens in public facilities for
transport
 Utilizing ability and experiences in local level policy making,
 Motivating in social and economic activities, sharing experience with school student
and participation in local level committees.
 Ensure the protection, safety and dignity of older people by addressing the social,
financial and physical security rights and needs of people as they age
 Reduce inequalities in the security rights and needs of older women
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25. .
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Suggestions
Thank You
for Your:
Attention
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