Abstract

Background: The world over, in most countries, proportion of people who are 60 years of age or more, is growing much faster than that in any other age group. Old age is not a disease in itself, but the elderly are vulnerable to long term diseases of insidious onset. Therefore, the support system available to them at this juncture in life is very essential. This analytical study evaluated the quality of psychosocial support systems available for the aged in rural Punjab, India. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in a rural area of district Moga in the state of Punjab, India. The demographic data and profile of the village population was studied and out of the total population of 9,456, individuals who were 60 years or older of age who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Results: Out of the total of 1870 elderly population who met the inclusion criteria, 980 were females while the remainder 890 were men. 93% of the study population stated that the primary health care services provided in the village were not adapted to the needs of people of their age. 86% agreed that the infrastructure was not comfortable for them.Conclusion: There is a need to review the quality as well as the distribution of services offered to the elderly in rural Punjab, India, including the content of the services, especially where their mental health is concerned.

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