ABSTRACT:
Aim: A descriptive study was conducted to assess the level of memory impairment among elderly in a rural community of Ernakulum district. Background: Ageing is a series of process that begins with life and continues throughout the life cycle. Ageing in India is exponentially increasing due to the impressive gains that society has made in terms of increased life expectancy. It is projected that the proportion of Indians aged 60 years and above will rise from 7.5% in 2010 to 11.1% in 20251. As individuals age, their brain shrinks. They gradually lose nerve cells that they had from birth and process information more slowly. As a consequence, learning new concepts and patterns becomes more difficult. Memory also begins to fail. The ability to store, process, and manipulate information drops.2 Decline of memory function is a normal process of aging, but it may also be the result of a pathological condition such as Alzheimer's disease. Age related memory impairment is preventable by adoption of healthy lifestyle practices and by performing activities that stimulate the brain and mind.3 The present study was undertaken to assess the level of memory impairment among elderly in a rural community of Ernakulam district and to find its association with selected demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive analytical study was conducted in a rural area of Ernakulam district. 200 elderly people aged 65 years and above were selected by using convenient sampling technique. The data collection tools were structured interview schedule to collect the demographic data and Modified Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE)-III Malayalam version with emphasis on memory function to assess the level of memory impairment among elderly. Results: The present study concluded that 45.5% of the subjects had memory impairment (36% had mild memory impairment, 7% had moderate memory impairment and 2.5% of the subjects had severe memory impairment). The study also revealed that there is a significant association between level of memory impairment with demographic variables of elderly such as age and educational qualification (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the present study highlight that nearly half of the elderly had memory impairment ranging from mild to severe forms.