Study of Mongolian Elders Usage of Assistive Devices

Background: With the increasingly aging population in developed countries, the price of social welfare and medical service is rising, resulting in many countries focusing more on health policies such as health promotion, prevention of disabilities and improving well-being of the elderly population. An important factor for improving the well-being of the elderly is the usage of assistive devices. Goal: To determine the need for assistive devices affecting the well-being of Mongolian elders. Method: The study covers 2000 elderly individuals from Ulaanbaatar city and 4 regions of Mongolia. The study determined and evaluated the factors influencing the well-being of elders by their self-diagnosis of visual and hearing impairments and the usage of assistive devices, orthotics and prosthesis. Results: Gender ratio for the subjects was 36.8% male and 63.2% female. The average life expectancy of the subjects was 67.04±6.7. 47.3% of the subjects evaluated their eyesight as average, 30.8% as good and 21.9% as bad. 49.4% of the subjects used eyeglasses and contacts. 53.7% of the subjects evaluated their hearing as good, 36.2% as average and 10.2% as bad. 7.7% of the subjects used hearing aids. 73% of the subjects used prosthetic teeth, 28.3% used assistive canes and 8.3% used wheelchairs. As for current need, 35.3% said they needed prosthetic teeth, 2.1% needed assistive canes, 2% needed hearing aids and 0.4 said they needed blood pressure monitors. Conclusion: 40% of the Mongolian elderly have current need for assistive devices. The most needed assistive devices are prosthetic teeth, assistive canes and hearing aids.