Abstract

BASTER MORO, Juan Carlos. Medical and social care to the older adult in Holguin province. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2011, vol.37, n.3, pp. 207-218. ISSN 0864-3466.

Introduction Aging is essentially the increase of the proportion of old people with respect to the rest of the population. Objective To present the demographic aging, the medical assistance and human resource structures and the situation of mortality by geriatric age groups and causes in Holguín province. Data source Several national and international sources in health statistics about the older adult care, on line documents from the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization and the national statistical information were reviewed. The key words were old person, population aging, medical care, social assistance and health care system. Data synthesis Holguín province has 87 geriatric beds located in two services and 15 houses of grandparents in 2009 in addition to 1 581 grandparent clubs that include 56.8% of the older population in that province. The Homecare Program for the Elderly covers 16 478 needy senile elderly. Seven homes for the elderly guarantee the institutional care. Thirteen specialists in Geriatrics and Gerontology work in the territory and are supported by 44 multidisciplinary gerontological care teams. Six national diploma´s courses in Community Gerontology have been given. It was observed that the mortality remained stable, with some decline in 2009 below the serial behaviour for all the age groups due to a heart disease rate lower than the national average rate. Conclusions Aging will remain the main demographic challenge in Cuba. The health care sector is responsible for the design of strategies to guarantee meeting of the needs of the elderly and their families, greater life expectancy, and mortality reduction.

Keywords : Old people; population aging; medical care; social assistance; health care system.

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