Perceived Medical, Social, and Psychological Issues due to the COVID-19 Pandemic among Elderly: A Descriptive Analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2024.v36i04.016

Keywords:

Chronic Morbidity, Elderly, COVID-19, Psychological, Social, Medical

Abstract

Elderly individuals are more likely to suffer from both short and long-term consequences of COVID19, including exacerbation of existing illnesses, psychological issues, and increased risk of death. This study aimed to understand the medical, perceived psychological, and social health problems faced by the elderly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This hospital-based study included 225 elderly patients (aged ?60 years) with chronic health conditions. Hypertension (70.2%) and diabetes mellitus (64.0%) were the most common morbidities among the study participants. At least 34.7% of the participants had one or more symptoms suggestive of psychological problems due to COVID-19 pandemic. Among the participants, 56.9% had difficulty with routine activities, 10.2% had trouble accessing medications and 8% faced issues in receiving routine medical care. There is a need to protect the interests of the elderly and suggest potential preventive measures and solutions for their medical, social and psychological problems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Archived: WHO Timeline - COVID-19 Report. [(accessed on Aug 25 2024)]; Available online: https://www.who.int/news/item/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19

Andrews MA, Areekal B, Rajesh KR, Krishnan J, Suryakala R, Krishnan B, et al. First confirmed case of COVID-19 infection in India: A case report. Indian J Med Res. 2020;151(5):490-492.

Total cases of COVID-19 in India. [(accessed on Aug 25 2024)]; Available online: ?https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/india/?

Lewnard JA, Mahmud A, Narayan T, Wahl B, Selvavinayagam TS, Mohan B C, et al. All-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chennai, India: an observational study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2022;22(4):463-472.

Mistry SK, Ali ARMM, Yadav UN, Ghimire S, Hossain MB, Das Shuvo S, et al. Older adults with non-communicable chronic conditions and their health care access amid COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: Findings from a cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2021;16(7):e0255534.

Majhi MM, Bhatnagar N. Updated B.G Prasad's classification for the year 2021: consideration for new base year 2016. J Family Med Prim Care. 2021;10(11):4318-4319.

Singh K, Kondal D, Mohan S, Jaganathan S, Deepa M, Venkateshmurthy NS, et al. Health, psychosocial, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with chronic conditions in India: a mixed methods study. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):685.

Sahoo KC, Kanungo S, Mahapatra P, Pati S. Non-communicable diseases care during COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-method study in Khurda district of Odisha, India. Indian J Med Res. 2021;153(5&6):649-657.

Heid AR, Cartwright F, Wilson-Genderson M, Pruchno R. Challenges Experienced by Older People During the Initial Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Gerontologist. 2021;61(1):48-58.

Addis SG, Nega AD, Miretu DG. Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic disease patients in Dessie town government and private hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2021;15(1):129-135

Downloads

Published

2024-08-31

How to Cite

1.
Juneja K, Kapoor K, Kumar A, Eshwari K, Rao S R, Mallya SD. Perceived Medical, Social, and Psychological Issues due to the COVID-19 Pandemic among Elderly: A Descriptive Analysis. Indian J Community Health [Internet]. 2024 Aug. 31 [cited 2024 Dec. 6];36(4):604-9. Available from: https://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/2918

Issue

Section

Short Article

Dimensions Badge

Most read articles by the same author(s)