The health problems of the elderly living in institutions and homes in Zimbabwe

This paper is based on a study that showed that European women and African men have more health problems than African women, European men and Coloureds of both sexes. Generally, European women were older than any other group. As a proportion of the population under study, Africans, particularly African women, are under represented. The number, nature and effects of health problems were studied. The major areas studied were mobility, ability to negotiate stairs, and handicaps, particularly deafness and blindness. African males tended to report more ill health and handicaps at an earlier age than other groups. The residents' assessment of their own health tended to be positively over reported, particularly by European womenas could be expected from studies from other parts of the world. Europeans had better access to good medical facilities. Africans had a greater anxiety about death and dying because they were aware that they were not going to be afforded culturally appropriate burials. The policy implications of the findings are also briefly discussed.