Cuban province strengthens care for the elderly in response to aging population

SANCTI SPIRITUS, Cuba, Mar 5 (ACN) Faced with the growing trend of population aging in the cental province of Sancti Spiritus, a territory with the third highest longevity rate in Cuba, this territory is strengthening comprehensive interdisciplinary care for the elderly in different areas of health and social institutions.

Dr. Ruben Calante Barbado, advisor of the Program of Attention to the Elderly in the region, pointed out to the digital version of the Escambray newspaper that of the approximately 460,800 people in the province, some 113,000 are aged 60 years or older.
Meanwhile, he highlighted that the life expectancy at birth is 79.10 years, above the national average.

The expert underlined that Sancti Spiritus also registers an increasing trend of people aged 80 and over, especially in Fomento and Cabaiguan; hence the need to reinforce actions aimed at these groups and, specifically, in primary care, where multidisciplinary teams are reactivated, including, for example, geriatricians, social workers and psychologists.

Calante Barbado stressed that, in addition to this, in the health areas there are caregiver schools, focused on developing, in family members and companions, knowledge and skills to ensure the care of sick people in disabilities.

More than 200 residents in this province received last year the caregiver accreditation certificate, which, if they are NOT direct family members, validates the exercise of this profession, which is so in demand today, the web page pointed out.