Geriatric traumas in the judicial reports of Adana, Turkey

Abstract

Senility is a process which must be evaluated with the dimensions of physical, psychological and social. Most studies about senility discuss physiological dimension at senility definition and classification. Senility in physiological dimension represents changes seen with chronological ages; chronologic senility is defined as being over age 65. Gerontologists classify senility as early senility period between ages of 65-74; middle senility period between ages of 75-84 and late senility period over the age of 85.1–3 Elderly population is increasing in our country as well as at worldwide. At the year of 1985, people over the age of 65 forms 4.2% of Turkish population. This ratio is now 7.4% according to 2012 data. This ratio is expected to be as 12% at the year of 2020.4 Geriatric trauma cases is increasing everyday because of increased time of life and increased ratio of elderly people due to improved lifestyle conditions. For this reason this subject is being of more interest to forensic sciences. Despite the fact that trauma is considered as a situation specific to young population; it has the 5th place at leading causes of deaths among the people over 65 years in western societies.5