Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Aile Hekimliği Anabilim Dalı, Trabzon
Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı, Trabzon Since the life expectancy increased over 65 years in many populations, the increasing rate of the elderly people in the overall population gets the medical and social problems of the elderly population together. This study was carried put to evaluate the medico-social problems of the elder inhabitants of Trabzon Second Primary Care Region. 650 elderly individuals living in that region were planned to enrol the study, but just 560 individuals of 280 male and 280 female could been reached. The mean age of the women was 70.9 ± 0.3 and men was 70.5 ± 0.4 years. 80.5 % of the individuals were young elder ones. It was found that, 53.6% of the women were married, 45.7% were widow and 87.1% of the men were married and 12.1% were widow. 66.1 % of the women and 42.7 % of the men can't write and read; and 29.7 % of the women and 59.7 % of the men just can write and read or graduated of first school basic education. 98.3 % of the women were housewives and 31.4 % of the men were retired workers. 16.4 % of the women and 9.3 % of the men had no social security. 82.1 % of the women and 92.9 % of the men has a room in the house and 90.0 % of all individuals have at least one friend or relative. 2.1 % of the women and 76.1 % of the men were smokers. No woman drinks and 15.7 % of the men drink alcohol. It was found that 37.9 % of the women had hypertension, 26.8 % had a musculosceletal disease, 16.1% had coronary heart disease and 16.4 % had diabetes mellitus. These diseases were respectively 33.6, 15.4, 22.5 and 10.7 % in the male group. In the investigation of the ordinary activities, it was found that the capacity of the women in getting upstairs and doing simple housework was lower than men. Or the ones that have a chronic syndrome, 64.8 % use drugs continuously. The most used assistance device was tooth prosthesis in the 57.1 % of the female group and glasses in the 49.3 % of the male group. As a result; elderly people are have to been accepted as one of the preceding groups in the planning of the health service. For the preventive geriatrics; it is necessary that the follow up of the quality and the quantity of the population and get- ting a team with the family. Keywords : Elder, Health status, Social, Status, Ordinary activity, Assistance device