ABU DHABI // Elderly residents in the emirate can look forward to extensive home-visit services that Sheikha Fatima ‘s Family Development Foundation plans to provide with Seha and the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi.
The foundation’s geriatric services department will customise care plans for individuals after consulting their family members and professional caretakers.
Geriatric services workers will provide clinical services, assist patients with chronic illnesses, advise on their nutritional needs, and provide support and education for patients’ family members.
Medical treatment will be provided in collaboration with Seha and the authority.
The healthcare professionals will also make sure that patients follow medical instructions.
“The goal of the geriatric services is to improve the living quality for the elderly and provide a swift response to any need that arises,” said Arafat Al Kaabi, head of the geriatric services department.
Families can register for the home-visit services online and at the department’s offices.
Applications will be assessed before a plan of treatment is customised for individuals.
The department will work with families and connect them to expert care providers to help with challenges and ensure an optimal quality of life for their loved ones.
Caregiver coaching will help families to make decisions about addressing those challenges and the responsibilities of caring for the elderly.
The new services involve advice on housing needs, and evaluating residential safety and security. The foundation hopes to achieve quality home care for the elderly and reduce the stress of their family members and caregivers.
At the Arab Health Summit in January, Princess Haya of Jordan, wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the UAE’s ageing population was a serious issue in need of attention.
“There is growing evidence that the current local system will be unsustainable if not changed over the next 20 years,” she said. “Health care is changing. And most of these changes are the effect of ageing.”
Prathna Singh, a clinical psychologist at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology, said the initiaitve of the foundation, was commendable because elderly people were often sidelined and forgotten by society.
“Reaching out and actively seeking to help this age group through home-based care is important because these individuals cannot readily access health care services,” she said.
The Family Development Foundation was established on October 5, 2006, on the directive of President Sheikh Khalifa.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae
