Age-Friendly Healthcare in National Health Service
Reality or Mirage?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26512/rgs.v15i2.54430Keywords:
Universal Health Care, Population Dynamics, Health Policy, Health of the Elderly, National Health ProgramsAbstract
Demographic aging highlights the need to adapt health systems to the comorbidity profile of older people. However, these are still oriented towards situations of acute illness. In this sense, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a set of Age-Friendly Principles that seek to optimize the provision of care for this population. This article presents the results of an assessment of the current adaptation of health care providers to the WHO Principles and the means necessary for their implementation in the National Health Service. A questionnaire survey was applied to primary and hospital care administrators, covering a total of 173 entities. To deepen knowledge of the topic, three case studies were carried out involving 11 interviews with key actors involved in the health sector. The results show that the providers analyzed are not generally adapted to the WHO Principles, especially with regard to professional training and the management system. The main challenges are the lack of human and financial resources and inadequate infrastructure. Collaboration between health and social services and local authorities is highlighted as a facilitator. It is recommended that an accreditation system be developed that encourages the application of these Principles worldwide.
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