Doha – Abdul Majeed Hamdi:
The State of Qatar is taking rapid steps towards enhancing the quality of life for the elderly, by developing an integrated health system that takes into account their increasing needs and provides them with the necessary care at various stages of aging. This comes within the framework of a national vision that aims to promote healthy aging and enable the elderly to maintain their independence and active participation in society, through advanced preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative services.
All these efforts are consistent with the objectives of the National Health Strategy 2024-2030, which places healthy aging among its main priorities, through the development of integrated preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative services that are based on the patient’s needs and enhance quality of life.
The Qatari experience in this context represents a model in the region, thanks to the integration of roles between various health institutions and the adoption of a comprehensive approach that focuses on prevention, independence and empowerment.
Acute geriatric services are among the most prominent paths of specialized care provided by Hamad Medical Corporation for the elderly, as they focus on providing accurate medical assessments and integrated management of acute conditions that patients may be exposed to at this age stage.
This service aims to quickly deal with sudden health changes and complications associated with multiple chronic diseases, through medical teams specialized in geriatric medicine, ensuring the development of an appropriate treatment plan for each case.
This service is available at Hamad General Hospital, Aisha bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital, the National Center for Cancer Treatment and Research, and Al Wakra Hospital.
Special care for cancer patients
Hamad Medical Corporation provides specialized oncology services to the elderly, based on a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the special health needs of this age group. These services include assessing the patient’s general health condition in addition to diagnosing and treating tumors, ensuring the development of balanced treatment plans that take into account the accompanying chronic diseases, the patient’s functional ability and quality of life.
Oncology, geriatrics, nursing, rehabilitation and psychological support doctors work within an integrated team to provide comprehensive care aimed at improving treatment results, reducing side effects and enhancing quality of life. These services are available at the National Center for Cancer Treatment and Research and Rumaila Hospital.
Emergency medical consultation service
Hamad Medical Corporation provides medical consultation services to the elderly in emergency departments, with the aim of ensuring that they receive rapid, specialized assessments that take into account the health characteristics associated with aging.
This service is supervised by doctors specializing in geriatric medicine who comprehensively evaluate the health condition, including chronic diseases, medications used, and the patient’s functional abilities, which helps in making appropriate treatment decisions and reducing the risk of complications or the need for unnecessary hospitalization. This service is available at Hamad General Hospital and Al Wakra Hospital.
Special orthopedic services for the elderly
Hamad Medical Corporation provides specialized orthopedic services to the elderly, focusing on treating problems associated with aging, most notably hip fractures, osteoporosis, and joint diseases that affect movement and independence.
These services aim to accelerate recovery, reduce complications, and improve the ability to move and perform daily activities, through integrated treatment and rehabilitation plans supervised by a multidisciplinary team.
These services are available at Hamad General Hospital, Aisha Bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital, and Al Wakra Hospital, ensuring that the elderly receive advanced care that contributes to maintaining their quality of life and enhancing their independence.
Outpatient clinics and community care
Outpatient clinics and community care constitute an essential pillar of the elderly care system, as geriatric clinics, available in all of the Foundation’s hospitals, provide general and specialized services to follow up on chronic diseases associated with aging, ensuring early detection of complications and effective management of health conditions. The Foundation also provides specialized fall prevention clinics at Rumaila Hospital and Qatar Rehabilitation Centre, in addition to public health, psychiatry and nutrition clinics at Rumaila Hospital that provide preventive services, psychological support and nutritional guidance.
This system is completed by home health care services that provide multi-specialty field visits covering all regions of the country, providing medical, nursing and rehabilitation care to more than 2,000 elderly patients.
A clinic for integrated care for the elderly
Hamad Medical Corporation, in cooperation with the Primary Health Care Corporation, provides an integrated care clinic for the elderly at Al Wajba Health Center. This clinic is the first of its kind in the State of Qatar, and relies on the integrated care model that brings together various health specialties within one framework that focuses on the needs of the patient and not just the disease.
The clinic includes specialized rooms for evaluation, treatment, and diagnosis of physiological changes that occur with aging. It also provides services for evaluating physical, mental, psychological, and social capabilities.
A pivotal role for primary health care
The Primary Health Care Corporation represents the first line of defense in the health care system for the elderly, as it provides comprehensive services through the network of health centers spread across various regions of the country, and through special paths for the elderly in all services from reception to the pharmacy and laboratory, including periodic examinations, follow-up of chronic diseases, preventive vaccinations, health education, and nutritional guidance.
Health care teams continuously follow up on the most common diseases among the elderly, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and memory disorders, which contributes to reducing health complications and improving quality of life.
Prolonged health care units
Hamad Medical Corporation has prepared long-term care units for elderly patients who require continuous medical follow-up and extended nursing care as a result of chronic health conditions or disabilities that limit their ability to rely on themselves.
These units aim to ensure continuity of care and improve the health and functional status of patients, through multidisciplinary teams that include doctors, nurses, physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists.
It also focuses on meeting the medical, social and psychological needs of patients within a safe and supportive treatment environment, which contributes to enhancing the quality of life and preserving dignity and independence as much as possible. These services are available at Rumaila Hospital and specialized care and support centers, in addition to the community care complex.
15 health facilities provide health care
Hamad Medical Corporation plays the main role in providing specialized health care to the elderly through a network of 15 health facilities, providing integrated services that combine treatment, community care, psychological support and rehabilitation, ensuring continuity of care and achieving the best health outcomes for this group. Health care for the elderly in Qatar is based on the concept of comprehensive care, which is not limited to treating diseases only, but also extends to preserving the functional, physical and mental capabilities of the elderly, and reducing complications associated with aging.
Medical care during the pre- and post-operative phase
Hamad Medical Corporation provides specialized medical care services for the elderly during the pre- and post-operative stages, with the aim of ensuring that surgical procedures are performed with the highest levels of safety and reducing the risks associated with aging.
These services include assessing the patient’s comprehensive health condition before surgery, reviewing chronic diseases and medications used, in addition to following up with the patient after the operation to ensure better recovery and reduce potential complications. These services are available at Hamad General Hospital and Al Wakra Hospital.
