Good health: A mainstay for better adjustment among elderly

Five hundred and forty rural and urban male and female elderly under the age group of 60–74, 75–84 and 85 and above were randomly selected from Dharwad Taluka. Data were collected through exploratory and personal interview methods. Personal information schedule was used to elicit auxiliary information of the subjects regarding demographic variables. The adjustment pattern, health status and socio-economic status (SES) of rural and urban elderly were studied. On the basis of the results that indicated a large number of elderly with physical health problems and adjustment problems an intervention programme was conducted on a non-experimental group with a designed educational training programme. The impact was assessed through a single pre-and post-test design. With respect to physical health problems few of the health diseases and disorders such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, numbness, asthma, tremors and cardiovascular diseases, joint pain, knee pain, poor hearing and poor vision were present to a greater extent in some of the elderly. Majority of them showed average category of adjustment in the areas of marital, financial and health aspects. Intervention programme had significant positive impact on the health status and adjustment pattern of the elderly who fell in lowest level of physical health and adjustment pattern and which lead to the better health and better adjustment in different areas.