engleski

THE ROLE OF DEPARTMENT OF GERONTOLOGY, ZAGREB INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND GERONTOLOGY CENTERS IN CROATIA

Monitoring of the identified and evaluated health care needs of the elderly is becoming a priority public health measure as an indicator of progression or failure in health care of the population at large. Therefore, implementation of the Registry of Identified and Evaluated Health Care Needs of the Elderly is ensured by the respective Gerontology Center of the Institute of Public Health. The objective is to design appropriate standards and program of health care procedures and measures of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention for the elderly. Sixty-eight percent of the health care needs of the elderly are managed at outpatient Gerontology Centers in their local communities, as every fifth elderly person in Croatia is dependent on other people's help.The major problem of solitariness, present in 78.0% of the elderly, entails an ever growing occurrence of bed-ridden state and dependence on other people's help. Gerontology Center represents transformation from the classic forms of exclusively institutional geriatric care to open, non-institutional forms providing day- care for the elderly, continuous physical, mental and occupational-rehabilitation activities with daily lectures on healthy, productive aging, and preserving functional capacity even at a very old age of ³ ; ; 85, the fastest growing age group in Croatia.Through their activities, Centers of Gerontology, Zagreb Institute of Public Health, and regional Gerontology Centers will reduce the difference between the identified and covered health care needs of the elderly. This, however, requires continuing undergraduate and postgraduate education in gerontology and geriatrics for the variety of professionals engaged in health care of the elderly, especially as a public health subspecialty.

DEPARTMENT OF GERONTOLOGY ; INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH ; GERONTOLOGY CENTERS ; CROATIA

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