Attention to Geriatric Health Care

One of the Important Plans in Health Administration

Paying attention to elderlies’ welfare and developing geriatric health care programs with the approach of identifying chronic diseases and self-care instruction are the most important plans of Health and Hygiene Administration of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

According to WebDa, Dr. Mohammad Ahmadian, the deputy of health in households and school population affiliated to Health and Hygiene Administration of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, asserted that September 24^th to 30^th is named as the national week of the elderlies with the slogan of “no to any age segregations”. According to a 2011 poll, 8.2% of the country’s population is comprised of the elderly people. Regarding the Supreme Leader’s communicated general policies about the population, it is necessary to have an exclusive outlook of the elderly people. Hence, acquiring proper policies about population change is of high priority.

Dr. Ahmadian asserted that in the framework of Health System Revolutionizing Program, the merged program of geriatric care is executed. Besides recognizing the dangerous environmental and behavioral factors, performing comprehensive laboratory tests, in addition to face to face instruction, this program includes group meetings with the orientation of instructing empowerment, rehabilitation and self-care by health care specialists for the elderly. 

The deputy of health in households and school population affiliated to Health and Hygiene Administration of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences mentioned some of the problems and difficulties that the elderlies commonly face including: lack of balance in walking, vision problems, dizziness, problems in the urinary system, hearing difficulties, diabetes and bone-related complications. He asserted that when elderly people refer to health and treatment centers and health databases under the supervision of this program, screening examinations would be performed on them by the doctors and self-care instructions are presented to them, as well.

About the exclusive programs specified to the week allocated to the elderlies, Dr. Ahmadian pointed out that: in order to value the elderly people, extensive activities are annually done through the province to raise officials’ and public awareness about geriatric health and valuing the senior citizens.

The titles specified to each day of this week are as follows: the day of the elderlies, social welfare and empowering environment; the day of independent, active, cheerful elderlies; the day of elderlies and unification in household; the day of elderlies and healthy life style; the day of elderlies, civil rights and law; the day of the elderlies’ cultural and religious values and respecting their status; and the day of the elderlies and no to age-oriented segregation.