(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: The changes made to the care of the elderly due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been immensely successful, as thousands have accessed tele-consultations, virtual clinics and helplines offered by the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
The new services were launched to discourage the elderly from visiting hospitals unless it is very necessary because they are at a higher risk and more vulnerable to COVID-19, said Dr. Mani Chandran, Senior Consultant Geriatric Psychiatrist at HMC.
Speaking to media on the sidelines of an Alzheimer's awareness event recently, he said under the leadership of Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad — National Lead for the Healthy Aging and Focal Lead for Global Dementia Observatory of WHO — the landscape of the elderly care in Qatar has completely changed during the pandemic.
'We have embraced telehealth. Our department was the first in HMC to launch the virtual clinics. We have the tele-consultations and virtual clinic which is where our regular clinic work goes, said Dr. Chandran.
According to Dr. Chandran the National Alzheimer's and Memory Services Helpline (RAHA) has received more than 800 calls, since its launch on June 15.
The helpline, which supports the elderly and their caregivers and provides information about conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and memory concerns receives around 40 calls on certain days.
RAHA (40262222), the National Alzheimer's and Memory Services Helpline, is available from Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 3pm. While, the 16000 national helpline which is connected to the geriatric helpline is staffed by members from the Geriatric and Long-term Care Department, the team proactively calls those aged 60 years and above to offer advice and support on how to stay safe during this period.
'In time of COVID-19, such patients with dementia and caregivers are going through quite a difficult time related to the condition and there are periods where they need help and support. Not being able to access the healthcare increases the burden, therefore having the helpline at this time is a huge blessing in Qatar, said Dr. Chandran.
'We have a group of multi-disciplinary professionals, including psychologists, geriatrician, geriatric psychiatrists and trained specialised nurses, who are always ready to take the call. We get to understand what the problem is and how to help them, he added.
While virtual consultation has become increasingly important, there are times when a physical consultation is essential and Home Health Care service teams from HMC and Primary Health Care Corporation continue to make house calls in urgent cases.
A specialised Elderly Day Care Unit has recently been established in Rumailah Hospital, designed to provide non-life-threatening or emergency care in a more age-friendly environment where the teams can abide by safety regulation concerning distancing.
'The Elderly Day Care Unit delivers important yet routine medical interventions in order to manage them before they become acute.
"The added benefit of this service is to reduce the risk or need of an elderly person having to visit the Emergency Department if they do not need to, said Dr. Chandran.
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