Insufficient health professionals to serve seniors in the country, says expert

"We have prepared services for the elderly and lack health professionals to serve the elderly." The statement is the specialist in geriatrics Ana Lucia de Sousa Vilela. According to her, lack effective public policies for the elderly, which are common in developed countries, where they represent almost majority of the population. The country's future aged. Brazil currently has older children, although policies for children, pregnant women, have always been higher, "he explains.

According to her, the prejudice against the elderly, considered useless by many individuals as if pensioners not only work, but also from society. The senior is conquering its space and is changing the way of thinking, he said, citing the Elderly Statute (created in 2003), as the legislation advances.

In the opinion of the geriatrician Salo Buksman, the statute has not been put into practice. The statute is complete and beautiful, but does not work because there are no mechanisms to ensure that it works. As the statute will ensure, for example, the care, rehabilitation, geriatric and gerontological care in outpatient clinics, geriatric units reference without sufficient professional? The Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology has a maximum of 1500 members nationwide.

Buksman agree that seniors are more active and participative in the social sphere and gaining respect in society. We now have a senior citizen looking for work, trying to be helpful in managing your building, dress with fashionable clothes, with a very different behavior of the elderly of yore. Self-esteem and appreciation of the elderly have improved.

In Brazil, the average is 12% of the population over 60 years. In total, 23.5 million seniors in the country.

Research has shown year on year trend of an aging population - a result of improvements in quality of life, decrease in birth rate, access to health care and medicines, diet and physical activity. According to data from the National Survey by Household Sample (PNAD), released last month, the number of elderly in the country more than doubled since 1991, when this age group accounted for 10.7 million people over 60 years.

With information <I> Agency Brazil </ i>

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