Health needs and health status of the elderly in rural Bangladesh.

This study was undertaken to understand the health status of elderly people and to gather some information about their perceived health needs. This study was conducted in the north-western part of Dhaka district in the year 1999-2000. People aged over 60 years constituted about 3.5% of the total population with more than half (55.6%) belonging to the middle class and another one third to the lower class. Elderly people made up 5.7% of all out-patient consultations and 6.9% of all in-patient admissions. Hypertension, peptic ulcer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia, skin diseases and anaemia were common among these people. Only 14% of the elderly people in this rural area were insured, but these insured people constituted about half (48%) of the in-patient and 90% of the out-patient elderly patients. Thus insurance has significantly increased their health care access (p<0.05). Provision of free health care, drugs at a cheaper price, services at their doorsteps, free ambulance service and allocation of old age allowance were some of their notable demands. A cheaper, accessible and effective geriatric health care service with an emphasis on health promotion, income generating activities and rehabilitation programme should be developed to protect the health and well being of the elderly people.