Türkiye’s Health Ministry to set up care centers for senior citizens

The Health Ministry revealed details on Friday regarding the establishment of “Healthy Aging Centers” (YAŞAM) in hospitals to provide remote and on-site medical care for people 80 and older.

These centers will be established under the coordination of the Health Ministry across the country and will undertake tasks such as supporting the medical care needs of the elderly both at home and on-site, providing remote health services when necessary and transporting citizens in need from hospital to home and vice versa.

According to Anadolu Agency (AA), the standards for the operation and practices of YAŞAM have been established with a circular sent to the provincial health directorates with the signature of Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

In addition, medical follow-ups, examinations and consulting services will be provided, ensuring necessary service coordination in health facilities dedicated to facilitating easier access to health services for the elderly age group.

Accessible places

Locations for the facilities will be chosen in accordance with the demographic and service needs of each province.

The centers will consist of waiting areas for the elderly and their attendants and a polyclinic room suitable for ensuring basic health services, such as the determination of vital signs, height and weight measurement, blood sample collection and EKG recording.

According to the information obtained, spiritual support will be provided in the centers, and the teams working in the units will include at least a specialist physician or physician, two nurses, an elderly health care professional and a medical secretary.

Ideally, a specialist geriatrician will join the team, and if not, an internal or family medicine specialist will work in the centers.

Other professionals such as physiotherapists, social workers and moral support personnel will also be on call in the centers, with priority given to dietitians and psychologists.

Each team in YAŞAM will be responsible for the follow-up of up to 300 elderly individuals. The staff will provide services during the working days and working hours stated, and in case of an elderly person must visit a public health facility outside the staff’s working hours, the team in the unit will be notified through the system determined by the ministry.

Medical plan and evaluation

Evaluations of each patient will be carried out at least once a month for bedridden elderly individuals and at least once every three months for independent elderly individuals.

The first evaluation will take the form of an on-site or home visit, while subsequent visits will be face to face, preferably on-site. In cases such as epidemics, remote locations and weather conditions, the elderly can be evaluated using remote video health services.

Physicians employed in the centers will visit the elderly person on site or at home with their team and determine the person’s care needs. Based on evaluations, they will create a medical care plan.

According to the needs of the elderly, necessary treatments oriented toward physiotherapy and rehabilitation will be implemented.

Similarly, social workers on the team will provide services to determine the elderly individual’s needs for home care, social support or institutional care. Dietitians will evaluate the nutritional needs of the person together with the physician. In addition, during additional visits, the needs of the elderly, such as changing dressings, injections and catheter changes will also be addressed.

Based on the plans, psychologists working in the centers will regularly visit the elderly individuals at their homes, while health care technicians will support the elderly person’s daily activities, such as eating and brushing their teeth during the visits.

Relatives who take care of elderly individuals will be informed about their medical care plans with the assistance of the secretaries working in the centers, who will follow these processes and make the necessary appointments.

In the shared circular, it was emphasized that YAŞAM should be rapidly implemented in hospitals in Türkiye in accordance with the plans.

“Since our ministry plans to expand the services in question to include individuals aged 65 and over, it is important to carry out studies to establish the necessary service capacity as soon as possible,” the statement read.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

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