Old age can be a challenging time in a person’s life, and recognizing common symptoms can help caregivers and patients make decisions. The aging process is not uniform; many changes occur at different rates. By understanding these changes, caregivers and patients can minimize risks and plan ahead for future health care. Social and mental issues can contribute to functional deterioration in elderly persons. It is important to understand how to prevent these problems and to seek medical advice as early as possible.
Although there are some genetic factors that may play a role in health, the majority of variations in older people’s health are due to their physical and social environments. The factors that influence aging include one’s physical environment and early childhood experiences. Providing an environment that supports active living and aging is essential to the health of an older population. Older adults often experience chronic conditions and require more assistance than younger people do. In addition, the physical environment affects a person’s quality of life, which can make them more vulnerable to certain diseases.
The rapid aging of the population has sparked a new environment for the management of old age mental disorders. Using the DESDE-LTC tool and regional sociodemographic health care indicators, we can compare outcomes across the Southern Balkans. Using these data, future studies and meta-analyses could easily incorporate these results. Our findings suggest that there are gross regional disparities in old age mental health care services in the Southern Balkans. In many countries, most psychogeriatric units are located in major cities, where they are based. In smaller towns, the services may not exist.
In addition to this, the study found that there were fifteen psychogeriatric units in the Southern Balkans. These institutions were selected from a list of the countries in which the researchers had conducted a study. The head physicians of these units agreed to participate in the research. The findings also revealed a wide variation in the number of physicians to nonmedical staff. In some units, the ratio of physicians to nonmedical staff was as low as 0.0125 at the State Psychiatric Hospital in Kurdzali and two at the “Atikon” University General Hospital in Athens West.