WHO has drawn up a set of Age-friendly Principles for community-based primary health care centers after gathering views from over 300 older people, and over 50 doctors and nurses in a range of developed and developing countries in 2002. The principles pay particular attention to these three areas:
1. Create age-friendly physical environment in the PHC Centre
Proposed improvements:
• apply common principles of Universal Design to the PHC
• provide older patients with safe and affordable transport to the PHC
• provide simple and readable signages to ease older patients’ movement
• build age-friendly facilities such as good lighting, non-slip surfaces, clear walkways, and stable furniture
• allow easy identification of key health care staff with the help of name badges
2. Develop age-friendly PHC management systems
Proposed improvements:
• adapt administrative procedures to the special needs of older patients
Examples: scheduled and longer appointments for shorter waiting time and longer comprehensive assessment
• set up comprehensive patient records to support a continuum of care for older patients across all care levels
• facilitate access to financial schemes and community services for needy older patients
• involve older patients in decisions affecting the organization of the PHC
• provide older patients with clear information on the operating hours and fee schedules of PHC centres in different languages.
3. Promote age-friendly information, education and training
Proposed improvements:
• train clinical staff in the core competences of elder care
• improve the clinical staff’s attitudes, knowledge and skills of elder care
Example: sensitizing clinical staff to gender differences in ageing, cultural and language diversity among older people
• ensure there are sufficient clinical staff who can speak in major dialects and languages
• provide health information in major languages for older patients and caregivers
• review regularly the use of all medications and therapies
(Adapted from ‘Active Ageing: Towards Age-Friendly Primary Health Care’, published by the World Health Organisation 2004)
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