Health Status of Elder Spinal Cord Veterans

Aims: Noticing the veteran’s old age, and especially veterans with spinal-cord injuries who constitute most of the veterans with physical-motor problems, it is necessary to assess their health. The aim of the study was to investigate comprehensively the health statuses of veterans with spinal-cord injuries in their higher than threescore.
Instrument & In the descriptive cross-sectional study, 53 veterans with spinal-cord injuries in their higher than threescore, who participated in a therapeutic recreation camp from all the provinces, were studied in 2011. The subjects were selected via census method. Collected by questionnaires, data of their nutritional status, bedsores risk, cognition status, depression level, and daily functioning with the utilization of instruments, as well as need and dependency in daily activities was analyzed by SPSS 14 software using descriptive statistics and Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests.
Findings: 32, 27, and 47 persons were with depression symptoms, malnutrition risk, and bedsores risk, respectively. 47 persons were with either no or mild cognitive impairment. 35 persons were independent in the instrumental activities in daily living (IADL). Only 10 persons were with mild or minimum dependency in daily life. The nutrition status significantly correlated with depression factors (p Most of the elderly veterans with spinal-cord injuries are without any cognitive impairment, with depression symptoms, and with malnutrition risk, as well as bedsores risk. In addition, they are dependent in their daily activities, while independent in their daily life using instrumental aids.