Everyday memory and health status in older adults in rayalaseema region of A.P

Abstract

Population ageing is the most significant emerging demographic phenomenon in the world today. In 1950, the world population aged 60 years and above was 205 million (8.2 per cent of the population) which increased to 606 million (10 per cent of the population) in 2000. Evidence from many studies indicate that a large proportion of older, non-demented individuals have sufficient numbers of plaques and tangles to meet neuropathologic criteria for Alzheimer‘s disease but do not manifest clinical symptoms of the disease during their life spans, which may be explained by a substantial reserve capacity in their fluid intelligence. Everyday memory refers to memory operations that routinely occur in one's daily environment. Everyday memory include remembering names, remembering plans for the day, recalling items that one needs to purchase at the grocery store, remembering to take medications, and remembering telephone numbers, directions, or recent newsworthy events. The hallmark of everyday memory and associated research, then, is that it involves the performance of tasks that occur naturalistically in the real world. Review reveals that there is paucity of studies on everyday memory performance in the aged. The present study was carried out as part of UGC major research project. The paper focuses on the assessment of everyday memory in the aged (N=600) and its association with health in older adults. The main sample includes men and women with the age group of 60–75+. As the data indicates there are differences among different sub-groups in the performance of everyday memory. The results are discussed in the light of psychological interventions to improve quality of life of older men and women particularly in relation to everyday performance.