A study of well-being of elderly people in three communities in Zimbabwe.

The purpose of this research was to assess the well-being of elderly people in three different community types in Zimbabwe. Well-being was defined as general health, health resource access, nutrition, habits, and physical function. Major health problems, hygiene, nutrition and access to health care did vary between communities, but there was a low level of physical dependency throughout. The findings suggest that once a critical decline in fitness occurs, elderly people may rapidly die as a result of diminished medical and physical support. These findings are relevant to future plans for elderly care services in Zimbabwe.