Living arrangement pattern of elderly in Chandigarh Tricity, India: A glimpse through geriatric clinic at tertiary hospital

Abstract

Background: The changes in the demographic and economic fabric of society have significantly impacted the living arrangement patterns of the elderly. Objectives: The objectives are as follows: (i) To examine the living arrangement patterns of elderly coming to the geriatric clinic at a tertiary care institution in Chandigarh and (ii) To analyze the factors related with their living arrangements. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done from April 2015 to March 2017 at a geriatric clinic in a tertiary care institution in North India. The data were collected from elderly patients (60 years and above) on a pre-designed, pre-tested, and structured questionnaire by interview technique. Chi-square test was applied followed by logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 305 elderly patients were interviewed. Mean (standard deviation) age of participants was 68.5 (6.7) years. Females (59.3%) outnumbered males. One-fifth of the elderly were either living alone (04.6%) or with spouse only (16.4%). Significant associations were found between living arrangement patterns and gender, marital status, type of family, education, socioeconomic status, and house ownership. On logistic regression analysis, being widowed (odd’s ratio [OR]=23.1, confidence interval [CI]=4.1–127.6, and P = 0.00) was found to be a significant risk factor for “living alone”. Logistic regression analysis of “living with spouse only” showed significant association with socioeconomic class (OR=0.2, CI=0.1–0.4, and P = 0.00) and house ownership (OR=6.9, CI=1.6–30.6, and P = 0.01). Conclusion: Most elderly tend to coreside with children in Chandigarh Tricity. Age, gender, and marital status significantly influence the living arrangement patterns of the elderly.