Özet:

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the aim is to examine the comparision between the death anxiety and geriatric anxiety levels among the older people who have a chronic disease and not. Also, the relationship between chronic disease, the number of used drugs and the scores of death anxiety and geriatric anxiety. MATERIALS and METHODS: The study sample is consist of the patients who are 65 and above. The 30 participants can live without anyone else’s help and have at least 3 chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, osteoporosis, osteodegenerative joint diseases, rheumatic diseases, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma, gastrointestinal system diseases and chronic renal failure. Additionally, 30 older people joined in the control group and they have no chronic disease and they use no drug. These two groups were evaluated via Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). RESULTS: The average age of the participants with chronic diseases was 70,34±4.92  when the average age of the control group was 71,42±5,08. The DAS and GAS scores of the test group were higher than the control group’s scores (respectively p values: p=0.021, p=0.017). Moreover, it was found out that there was a linear relationship between the number of chronic disease and used drugs and the scores of DAS and GAS (respectively; r = 0.87, r = 0.81). CONCLUSION: This research shows that chronic diseases and polypharmacy can increase the geriatric anxiety and death anxiety. On the other hand, the number of used drugs may negatively effect some health parameters and this points out the polypharmacy. 

Anahtar Kelimeler: