- There is a singularization of old age. We observe this every day in geriatric wards. We have more and more patients who are lonely, have no indications for hospitalization, and there is nowhere to discharge them," said Prof. Tomasz Targowski, head of the Geriatrics Clinic and Polyclinic of the National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in Warsaw, national consultant in geriatrics.
Prof. Tomasz Targowski: There is no need to delay the introduction of systemic measures in the area of senior care
Published May 17, 2024 08:57
We are one of the fastest aging nations in Europe. What challenges do you see as a result?
The generation of baby boomers, or post-war baby boomers, is entering old age. At the same time, the number of births is slowly declining. As recently as 2015, there was one child per senior citizen. In 2035, this proportion will already be disturbed - there will be two seniors per child. There will be fewer active people on the labor market, and the size of the army of seniors will increase. There will be almost 10 million of them. It is necessary to think about how to solve care issues, both social and health care, and this will be demanding, among other things, due to multi-disease.
So what should senior policy in Poland look like?
Above all, it should be continuous, relying on a social pact, concluded by all major parliamentary groups, which would jointly develop one leading idea to solve these problems. We need comprehensive solutions, an integrated model of care for senior patients, close cooperation between family doctors and geriatricians, with a network of geriatric wards. I think we need to continue the work of building a network of 75 plus health centers. We can lower this age limit to 65, but we should find the resources for this. If there are claims that this is not feasible, concerns from local governments that the burden is too great, then we need to look for money to organize such coordinated care. Local governments will eventually face these problems. Let's remember that there is a singularization of old age. We observe this every day in geriatric wards. We have more and more patients who are single, have no indications for a hospital stay, and there is nowhere to discharge them. Not everyone who can give informed consent has the desire to stay right away in a nursing facility. Social care is needed. We've been talking about this for more than a dozen years. There is no point in waiting and delaying the introduction of any systemic measures in this area.
