ĐÁNH GIÁ TÌNH TRẠNG VÀ NHU CẦU CHĂM SÓC SỨC KHỎE CỦA NGƯỜI CAO TUỔI TẠI TỈNH THỪA THIÊN HUẾ

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the functional status and accessibility to health care services and to identify the healthcare demand among people aged 60 years and older in Thua Thien Hue province. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2018 to June 2019 on 932 people aged 60 and older who were living in 3 ecological regions in Thua Thien Hue province by face to face interviews. Results: The average age of 932 people aged 60 and older was 72.71 ± 6.64. 29.1% reported cognitive impairment; visual and auditory function deteriorates with age. Hypertension and musculoskeletal diseases were the most common diseases among the elderly. 89.2% of the elderly have used health care services in the last 3 years; public health facilities such as public hospitals and commune health centers were used a lot. The need for periodic health checks, the need for home health care, and the need for health information counseling were the three highest needs among the elderly. Conclusions: The study showed the health status as well as the functional impairment and disability (memory, vision, hearing and walking ability) among the elderly and their healthcare needs in Thua Thien Hue province. The older people had a relatively high healthcare demand at the current trend in aging population. Their demand for cultural- specific healthcare should be increasingly prioritized for aging care policy in the country.