title: Health and morbidity profiles of older adults in Singapore and their health care needs.
abstract: Before setting up the first Senior Citizens' Health Care Centre (SCHCC), a survey was done to establish the health and morbidity profiles of older adults in the community and their health care needs. Community volunteers personally interviewed 1,697 persons aged 55 years and above, living in three areas in Singapore. The response rate was 75%. The respondents' general characteristics, the prevalence rate of chronic diseases, their functional and mobility status, utilisation of the health services and how the chronic diseases affected their activities of daily living (ADL) were studied. Among the respondents, 2.1% required nursing care, 4.2% were unable to climb stairs, and 23.3% were on long-term medications. As compared to the younger age groups, those 75 years and above reported more difficulties with mobility (semi-ambulant 6.5%, bedridden 1.8%), more needed assistance in ADL (bathing 4.8%, toiletting 4.7%, dressing 3.0%, and feeding 2.4%) and a higher percentage required nursing care (3.6%). Services that would benefit the frail elderly are reported in this paper.
authors.affiliation: Health Service for the Elderly, Ministry of Health, Singapore.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nair
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D015995:Prevalence; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology