A qualitative study on the health dimension of elderly poverty in Istanbul

The proportion of the elderly population is increasing in the world and in Turkey due to increasing human life expectancy and declining birth rates. The concept of old age has become a globally important phenomenon. The elderly are faced with the problem of poverty due to economic crises and improperly implemented state policies. Poverty is always an important social problem and affects the health of individuals of all ages. This study focuses on the problems faced by poor elderly people in the field of health. Individuals over the age of 65 living in Istanbul with no income other than retirement income were included in this study. Participants were asked about their income levels, living standards, relationships with their families, relationships with the community, whether they had social security, their health status and their experiences in the field of health services. In this study, the health dimension of elderly poverty was investigated by examining the problems encountered due to old age and poverty and the health-related dimension of these problems. Qualitative research method was used as the research method. The findings of the study showed that the elderly have difficulty in meeting their basic and social needs. Therefore, it was seen that the elderly faced many problems in benefiting from and accessing health services, such as not being able to find appointments at the hospitals they wanted to go to and not being able to reach specialist doctors. Poor elderly people who cannot go to health institutions alone, have walking difficulties and are illiterate cannot meet their health needs adequately.