*Services to be provided throughout the day
The Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has announced the expansion of health services for the elderly to deliver comprehensive care for those who are over 60 years by providing them with services throughout the day.
The HMC provides, through Department of Geriatrics, daycare services to the elderly from 7am to 10pm in an effort to reduce crowding, which might happen if the service is limited to one period, in addition to working to accommodate a large number of patients throughout the day.
The Department of Geriatrics at HMC called on elderly patients to take advantage of the services provided in the daycare unit by coming to the unit at any time of the day from 7am to 10pm.
Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, the Medical Director of Rumailah Hospital and Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), that the daycare unit is working to provide its services to the elderly (aged 60 years and over) who suffer from non-serious medical problems that do not pose a threat to life, but still need attention.
Daycare services are provided by a medical team specialising in geriatrics in a less crowded and friendly environment for the age group concerned, as each case is carefully assessed and the patients' requirements are managed quickly and flexibly.
The elderly can also directly contact the daycare unit to book appointments by calling the designated numbers, which are 33253128 or 55193240.
Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, who is also the National Lead for the "Healthy Ageing" Priority within the National Health Strategy, explained that the Department of Geriatrics at HMC provides many diverse services that serve the elderly, including outpatient clinics in Rumailah Hospital, which has 10 clinics and there are consultants and medical staff examining the patients and providing appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan for each case.
The Department of Geriatrics at HMC has established a unit for acute cases in Rumailah Hospital that need care for several days by an integrated medical team.
The unit receive cases that are transferred from Hamad General Hospital emergency room or from day care unit that need hospital admission.
Dr Hanadi al-Hamad indicated that this recently-opened unit at Rumailah Hospital complements new services that have been recently introduced to provide a safe alternative for the elderly during these current conditions from the coronavirus pandemic Covid-19.
The Raha, a service to help the elderly with Alzheimer's and poor memory represented by Raha line, which is a national line to help Alzheimer's patients and those with poor memory.
Raha service provides assistance and support in strict confidentiality for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, as the call will be received by specialists from the medical team and directed to the patient.
The elderly telephone reassurance service workers communicate with the elderly to check on them, introduces them to the services provided by the institution, learn about their health and medical problems and provide appropriate advice to them.
During the past weeks, more than 13,000 elderly people were contacted, they were given the necessary advice and informed in detail about the health and medical services available to them.
Dr Hanadi al-Hamad pointed out that the Department of the Elderly provides services for patients that are in Long Term Care Department in the Rumailah Hospital or in care centers or support centres in Hamad Medical City.
There is also medical staff that supervises a portion of the elderly patients inside Hamad General Hospital, and an integrated medical team that provides counseling services for the elderly in Al Wakra Hospital.
The Department of Senior Citizens provides a variety of services from outpatient clinics, daycare units, extended stay and units for the acute illness period through an integrated medical team specialising in diseases affecting the elderly. The team performs a comprehensive assessment of the elderly and studies their medical needs, from the motor point of view, in terms of physical therapy and functional therapy in addition to social and psychological needs.
Later the team presents an integrated treatment plan in consultation with the patient and his family, and follows up while the patient is in the hospital or after his or her discharge.
