The impact of interaction with orphanage children on quality of life of elderly females residing in old-age homes in a South Indian District: A comparative study

Introduction: Improving the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly has been one of the crucial challenges of public health with increasing life expectancy. The study was done to assess the impact on QOL and psychiatric morbidities among elderly females in old age homes (OAH) who had interaction with orphanage children. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 elderly females who were residing in OAHs in Chittoor District, India, from Sep–Dec 2019. Data were collected using older people's QOL scale, Hamilton's Scales (HAM-A and HAM-D). Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), software version 20. Results: About 82.9% of elderly females in OAHs who were interacting with orphanage children had good QOL when compared to those who were not (8.6%). A significant difference was observed in domains scores for overall life, independent home and neighborhood, psychological and emotional well-being, and religion in the elderly who were interacting with orphanage children when compared to those who did not. Mean scores for depression and anxiety were significantly higher (P = 0.001) in those who were not interacting with the orphanage children (23.23, 43.74) than with interaction (13.46, 43.74). Conclusions: Overall QOL was better in elderly females who had interaction with orphanage children when compared to those who did not. Furthermore, psychiatric morbidities (depression and anxiety) were significantly higher in those who were not having interaction with orphanage children than those with interaction (P = 0.001).