[Assessment of health needs of the aged].

Abstract

The increase of ancient population constitutes a challenge for society in general and for the health services in particular in relation with the offer planning and adequacy. It is important to know the health needs and status of our old people population to determine the intervention priorities and, on the other part, to measure the programmes efficiency and efficacy. As years go on, body organs get old in a different way, which leads to individual variations in the speed of organs and systems deterioration; that is why, a reasonable good scale of and overall health does not exist in contrast with functional status and psychological health. Certain cultural attitudes towards aging and the health care resources availability make measurement more difficult, as well. For all elaborated with and overall point of view, by means of a systematic search of problems and a total valuation of his health needs.