Background: A gei ng h as b ec ome a m edi c al a nd s oc i al p ro b l em i n t od ay ' s wo rl d. M os t el d erl y pa ti e nts ` fi rs t.
contact is wi th non-geriat ricians, usual ly fami ly medicine physicians and primary heal th care providers.
Aim: identi fy weak areas of geriat ric heal th care through elderly heal th status evaluation in an Egyptian rural area
and demonst rating pi lot heal th education prog ram regarding major geriatrics concerns.
Methods: Cross-sectional study was done in the catchment area of the fami ly heal th uni t in El -Qal iobya
Governorate in Kom-ashfeen vi l lage from July 2013 ti l l January 2014 on the elderly aging 60 years and above, 419
elderly were enrol led. An interview questionnai re included socio -demographic data, basic activi ties of dai ly l ivings,
and inst rumental activi ties of dai ly l ivings, mental status, and nut ri tional status. Hearing and visual status were
assessed. Screening for anemia, hyper tension and diabetes was performed. Heal th education program was
organized. Completing and updating contents of the heal th folders of al l study subjects was done.
Results: The mean age was 66.95±6.5 years. (56.6%) were males. The most commonly reported diseases were
rheumatic diseases, ischemic hear t diseases and renal impai rment, respectively. 36.3% were unaware of
hypertension. 51 (12.9%) of subjects were diabetic by history, and 15.3% and 45.6% had fasting and post prandial
hyperglycemia respectively discovered by screening. 83% of elderly females were anaemic. (57%) of the study
subjects were assisted by someone in some activi ties of dai ly l ivings. 31% of the subjects had mental problem.
and (17%) were malnourished and 52% were at risk of malnut ri tion, and (28%) of the subjects had hearing
problem. 266 (63.5%) of study subjects were on a regular medication intake. The mean number of drugs taken was
3.29 ± 1.7. 126 medical records had been created and 293 incomplete fi le were completed a nd activated.
Conclusions: The study highl ighted service related areas for fami ly physicians to close the wide gap in geriat ric
care by periodic heal th status assessment, screening for common chronic diseases, heal th education and
counsel ing programs.