Survey of The Health of The Elderly in Jordan

The elderly in Jordan form about 4.6% of the Jordanian population. There are no specialized health services for the elderly in Jordan, also very few studies have been carried out in relation to the health of the elderly. The purpose of this survey was to describe the health status of the elderly in Jordan. Countries such as Jordan need to better understand the health of the elderly in order to provide health services that meet those needs. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire that was completed by the research assistants in the homes of the elderly. The results indicate that the majority of the elderly population live within a family unit and usually have someone to help them. Most of the participants suffered from chronic health problems and many did not have adequate health insurance or could afford health services. The income they lived on was mainly from their families and retirement funds. The elderly in Jordan need to receive more attention by both government and civil society organizations, so that they are no longer the forgotten few.