Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

Trakya Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Halk Sağlığı ABD, Edirne Objectives : We planned to detect some socio-economic characteristics and to evaluate their possible connections with daily activities by Katz Index of the elderly people who live in Edirne Rest House. Materials and Methods : Our study is descriptive and cross-sectional. 101 elder patients reside in Edirne Rest House. We interviewed face to face with 87 people out of 101, 14 persons could not be covered because of being in the hospital or refusing interview. Dependency states of the elder residers for daily activities were evaluated by Katz Index and possible connections were examined. Interviews were carried out through pre-tested inquiry forms at the Rest House in May 2001. Results : 73.6 % of the participants were men and the rest 26.4 % were women. Half of the respondents were even in lack of primary education, while widows were at 47 %. Almost half of the elders were not having visits by their relatives. Elder people covered were mostly using eye glasses and dental prosthesis as supportive devices. 75 % of them had at least one chronical disease and 79.1 % had previously been hospitalized in a hospital. The most common chronical diseases were hypertension, cerebro-vascular events and heart failure. According to the Katz Index, evaluation of men and women delineated that first line dependency were on shopping, prepearing food and transportation. Conclusions : Half of the elder responders living in the Rest House had no primary education and 47% were widow. 3/4th of them had moved to the rest ho use by their own wishes. Mostly used assisting devices were spectacles and dental prosthesis. 75 % had a chronical disease and 79.1 % had previously been admitted to a hospital. Both men and women elders were experiencing real difficulties in shopping, preparing food and transportation according to the Katz Index. For this reason, setting a shop in the Rest Houses to meet their basic needs and increasing transportation facilities would be suitable steps. At nationwide scale, The Rest Houses render a great share in the services supplied for the elders. As a matter of fact, we must target a social care for those people among their relatives. It is concluded that dividing elders as smaller groups to multiple Rest Houses rather than big ones would be much better then, this model will reduce the troubles which arise from common living in crowded places. Keywords : Katz Index, The Elderly, Rest House, Geriatric care, Social care, Chronical disease