Insights Into Geriatric Care and Healthy Ageing
Authors: Bissar Nisrine 
Published: May 2024

The global population of older adults is expanding rapidly. According to the United Nations world social report (2023), 1 in 10 people worldwide were aged 65 or above in 2021. In 2050, this age group is projected to account for 1 in 6 people globally. In 2019, 9.6% of the Lebanese population were above 65 years of age according to statistics of the Ministry of Health. Geriatric medicine plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life for older adults, as it drives health promotion and disease prevention and treatment. The last two decades have witnessed a lot of progress in this field due to advancement on personalized care driven by genomic analysis, comprehensive geriatric assessment, polypharmacy management, assessment of frailty to prevent cognitive decline and nutrition and exercise interventions to maintain muscle and bone health and cognitive function. Yet, a lot of aspects need to be explored, as complex multimorbidity in this age group requires coordinated care across specialties. In addition, evidence-based studies that include older adults are limited. To tackle the different aspects of geriatric care, Beirut Arab University-Tripoli branch hosted the conference entitled “Insights into Geriatric Care and Healthy Ageing” which featured a series of keynote speeches, sessions, and discussions led by esteemed experts in the fields of Ageing and healthcare. The conference was organized in collaboration with the Middle East Academy for Medicine of Ageing (MEAMA) and the International Institute on Ageing (INIA). The first session held by Dr. Abdul Razzak Abyad and Dr. Nabil Kronfol addressed the medical and social transformation of ageing, the major challenges faced by older people and proposed a comprehensive program to improve the health and well-being of older people. A session entitled “Update on Geriatric Medicine” reflected a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing common health challenges associated with Ageing and offered the latest medical protocols and treatment to improve patient outcomes. The topics included the management of Metabolic Syndrome and Parkinson’s Disease, clinical presentation and management of depression in older adults, prevention and control of urinary tract infections in elderly, medication management to prevent polypharmacy, in addition to bone healthcare to prevent osteoporosis and fracture. A session specified for dementia and delirium covered the latest update on diagnosis and management of dementia, the progress in the process of using genetic markers for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, and nursing care tools used in the screening of delirium. Another session focused on prevention, assessment, and nursing care management protocols of pressure injuries in addition to surgical treatment. The concept of “healthy ageing” and the maintenance of physical health was highlighted during the conference through a talk about frailty prevention and management, which extensively covered the different types of exercise recommended in older age, their benefits, and the conditions of each. In addition, another talk linked the different dietary patterns to the risk of frailty and cognitive decline in older adults according to a Lebanese national study. The last session of the conference was dedicated to policies and programs of elderly healthcare. Dr. Samar El Feky, Regional Focal Person for Health of Older People from the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization, introduced the WHO guidelines for integrated care for older people (ICOPE) program implemented in several countries in the region. On the other hand, Dr. Saadallah Sabouneh presented the elderly care policies and programs in Lebanon, on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Firas Abyad. The president of the order of nurses, Dr. Rima Sassine Kazan, presented the challenges of Nursing care for the elderly in Lebanon. The conference was concluded by the organizers who emphasized the significance of “healthy ageing”, the process of maintaining functional ability as people grow older to enable their continued participation in society.