Evaluation of mental situation in patients over 65 years and affecting factors

Dementia is a health problem especially seen in elderly people. The elderly population is increasing both in the world and in our country due to the decrease in the birth rate and the developing technology and health services. This study was carried out in order to determine the relationships betweeen the prevalence and affecting factors of dementia in the old in Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Geriatrics and İnternal Medicine Policlinic. 102 volunteer participants were included in the study. 55.9% of the participants (n = 57) were female, 44.1% (n = 45) were male, and the average age of the study group was 70.91 ± 4.96 (min: 65; max: 89) years. 63.7% of the elderly are married and 18.6% have not finished school. According to the Standardized Mini Mental Test, 44.1% of them had dementia. The incidence of dementia has been found to be associated with low education level, female gender, cerebrovascular disease, and multiple drug use. When the factors that independently affect the development of dementia were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis, female gender and cerebrovascular disease were not found to be independent risk factors. As a result; the incidence of dementia is high in the elderly who admitted to our Geriatrics and İnternal Medicine Policlinic. With a multidisciplinary approach, protective treatment and rehabilitation services should be organized by evaluating the risk factors related to demantia in the old. Key words: demantia, geriatrics, mental state, mini mental test