HEALTH PROBLEMS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THANJAVUR DISTRICT-A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

Aging is a natural phenomenon which has not only profound personal implication for the individual but also implication for the society. Population ageing is an obvious consequence of the process of demographic transition. The developed regions of the world have already experienced its consequences, while the developing world is facing a similar scene. Although the proportion of elderly-defined in terms of those aged 60 and above in a population-seems small in some of the developing countries, those countries have more elderly persons in absolute terms because of their large population bases. While the recent emphasis on studies pertaining to the elderly in the developing world is attributed to demographic transition, the deteriorating conditions for the elderly are a result of the fast-eroding traditional family system in the wake of rapid modernization, migration, and urbanisation. Health problems are supposed to be the major concern of a society as older people are more prone to suffer from ill health than younger age groups. It is often claimed that ageing is accompanied by multiple illnesses and physical ailments. The health status of the aged should occupy a central place in any study of the elderly population. In most of the primary surveys, the Indian elderly in general and the rural aged in particular are assumed to have some health problems. In this connection, the paper wishes to highlights the health problems faced by the elderly people in Thanjavur District of Tamilnadu.