Eighth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Population ageing and its gender dimension in a developing country like India suggests multitude of problems necessitating immediate attention in dealing with the health care of elderly women. Higher life expectancy added to their vulnerabilities due to widowhood, poverty, illiteracy and morbidity. The paper attempts to seek influential factors facilitating and hindering the health seeking behaviour of elderly women in India’s rural areas. Using mixed methodology, data was collected from Kerala - the state with highest proportion of elderly in the country. Survey was conducted among 300 respondents using an interview schedule. Group discussions and case studies were done to substantiate specific research results. SPSS and KATZ scale (for ADL and IADL) were used to analyse the survey data. Results showed that self perceived health was poor among 60% of the respondents. Dwindling family care and vagueness in the extent of formal support systems made them to live under a strong fear of dependency, ill health, neglect and abuse. Life style diseases demanded major share of health expenses, most of which was out of pocket ones. Willingness rather than ability of the family decided the quality of health care provided. Elderly women resorted to Individual care strategies and maximum utilisation of available free public health care services for the sole manifestation to be worthy of living within the family and to postpone the frail, dependent situation to the maximum possible extent. Individual, informal and formal care systems were integrated to design a model for policy intervention.