Mobility:
- 64% were freely mobile, 20% used a walking-stick, and 16% were
immobile (P = 0.000).
- Mobility was significantly correlated at 0.01 (2-tailed) to
psychological status, general mental state, nutritional and marital
status (P = 0.000).
Patients
receiving clinical care at home
26 patients of the sample (23%) received clinical care at home, over
half of them were 85 years of age and
above (P = 0.001). 62% of them were immobile (P = 0.002), 61.5 %
widowed (P = 0.000), 92% were sometimes or never dependent on
themselves, 3 patients (11.5%) among those seen at home were neglected
(P = 0.002). The majority had good nutritional state (77%), 46% had
highly adequate social support, and 15.4 % had non-adequate social
support. Mann-Whitney test showed statistical significance (P = 0.000)
in relation to age, marital status, general mental state, mobility and
self-dependence. Table 4 shows the major differences between those
studied in the clinic and those studied at home.
Patients
receiving clinical care at home
26 patients of the sample (23%) received clinical care
at home, over half of them were 85 years of age and
above (P = 0.001). 62% of them were immobile (P
= 0.002), 61.5 % widowed (P = 0.000), 92% were sometimes
or never dependent on themselves, 3 patients
(11.5%) among those seen at home were neglected (P = 0.002). The
majority had good nutritional
state (77%), 46% had highly adequate social support, and 15.4 % had
non-adequate social support. Mann-Whitney test showed statistical
significance (P = 0.000) in relation to age, marital status, general
mental state, mobility and self-dependence. Table 4 shows the major
differences between those studied in the clinic and those studied at
home.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to describe the major socio-demographic
characteristics of the elderly population in Abdullah Al-Salem area
and to describe the health status and factors influencing their
independence state for the performance of ADL. The profile of
illnesses and disabilities due to ageing was similar to a large extent
to Americans. The literature showed that the majority of Americans
(> 90%) has at least one medical diagnosis, 91% have visual defect,
90% of older Americans needed eyeglasses, 80.5% had hearing defects,
screening for visual and hearing loss in the old is important since
older patients may not complain of or recognize that their vision or
hearing is impaired[12,13]. The fact that 86.5% of patients were
receiving medications implies that as they grow older the elderly
usually have polypharmacy, at least 90% of Americans over the age of
65 take at least one medication daily and the majority take two
or more medications daily [12,13]. The prevalence of depression ranged
from 13 -27%, which
is similar to the rate seen in our sample (25%)[12,14]. Depression is
prevalent in the elderly and is associated with increased morbidity
and mortality, perhaps it is the most frequent cause of emotional
sufferings in later life[ 1 5 - 2 1 ]. It is particularly
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Table 4. Major comparisons
between those seen in the clinic and those seen at home.
| Factors |
Clinic |
% within |
Home |
% within |
Significance |
Age
<85
>85 |
75
14 |
84
16 |
11
15 |
42
58 |
P*=0.001 |
Marital status
Married
Widowed
divorced
Single |
65
20
2
0 |
75
23
2
0 |
8
16
0
2 |
31
61.5
0
7.5 |
P*=0.000 |
Q.F.S.
Highly adequate
Adequate
Not adequate |
26
52
9 |
30
60
10 |
12
1
13 |
46
4
50 |
P=NS |
Nutritional status
Well nourished
Malnourished |
85
2 |
98
2 |
20
6 |
77
23 |
P*=0.002 |
Mobility
Freely mobile
On stick
Immobile |
67
18
2 |
66
21
2 |
5
5
16 |
19
19
62 |
P*=0.000 |
Self-dependence for ADL
Always and Mostly
Sometimes and Never |
70
17 |
80.5
19.5 |
2
24 |
7.7
92.3 |
P*=0.000 |
Depression#
Moderate
Mild
No Depression |
5
16
62 |
5
19
71 |
1
6
13 |
4
23
50 |
P=NS |
General mental state#
Normal
Demented |
81
6 |
93
7 |
8
14 |
30.7
53.8 |
P*=0.000 |
General appearance
Clean
Moderately clean
Neglected |
71
16
0 |
81.6
18.4
0 |
14
9
3 |
53.8
34.6
11.5 |
P*=0.000 |
P* = Mann-Whitney Statistical Significance; NS = not significant; #
= excluding those not assessed.
 
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