Sociomedical problems of aged population in a rural area of Wardha district

Most of the old persons staying in rural areas are illiterate with physical disabilities and are psychologically disturbed due to the loss of income and hence they are unable to lead a productive life. The present study was thus undertaken in a rural area of Wardha district, with the objective of studying the sociomedical aspects and psychological perceptions of the elderly population. Out of 10,000 population, 600 individuals of age 60 years and above were studied. Proportion of females was 330 (55%) and males 270 (45%) respectively. 300 (66.5%) of them were illiterate, and majority were agricultural labourer (238, 39.66%) and daily labourers (172, 28.66%). 244 individuals (40.67%) were still the head of the family and rest were related to the head of the family. 91 (15.17%) felt the change in attitude of the family members. 139 (31.5%) felt neglected and 146 (24.33%) loneliness respectively.