The network - Towards Unity For Health

Taskforce Carefor the Elderly Gets New ChairAt the last Network: TUFH Conference in Colombia,I volunteered to become the Chairpersonfor the taskforce Care for the Elderly.I guess you are interested in getting to knowme, just as I would like to get to know everyone.So who am I?Who am I?I am the new Chairperson for the taskforceCare for the Elderly, but this you alreadyknow! I am a Psychiatrist and Senior Lecturerin the Department of Psychiatry at the Collegeof Health Sciences, Makerere University,Uganda. I am also the Head of the ClinicalServices in the Psychiatric Department of MulagoNational referral hospital.My research interests include geriatric psychiatryand cognitive impairment in HIV/AIDS. I received my medical degree, as wellas my Masters degree in Psychiatry, at MakerereUniversity Medical School. Currently I amon a collaborative PhD programme betweenKarolinska Institute, Sweden and MakerereUniversity.I have served as secretary to the Associationof Uganda Women doctors, am a member ofa number of scientific associations includingthe International Psycho Geriatrics Associationand the Social Accountability taskforceof The Network: TUFH. I also serve as a memberon the Young Psychiatrists Council for theWorld Psychiatric Association.Special Vulnerable GroupThe elderly as individuals face many challengesworld-wide and so do the few healthprofessionals who try to provide services forthem. With the inversion of the populationpyramids in many countries, special serviceshave to be instituted for the elderly. Coupledwith this reality is the fact that as we growolder we have a multitude of complicationswith aging, like failing physical health, decreasedsocial networks and a vulnerabilityto physical and psychiatric complications.A Bogotá health centre which caters for the elderly communityIn a number of countries, the services for the tings as may be appropriate, and lastly, theelderly are often inadequate or are expensive use of the World Health Organization toolkitand lack coordination for them to be effectiveto the larger target group, with only a service is delivered to the elderly at primaryas an instrument in helping to ensure thatfew able to access them. Indeed, the elderly health centres.are often neglected in services provided forthe eneral population; therefore, an effort All this we hope to do for the future, in orderhas to actively be made to reach this special to contribute to the care of the elderly andvulnerable group.make their lives more comfortable and fulfilling.Future PlansThe future of the taskforce will depend on Noeline Nakasujja | Chair of thethe many ideas that have been floated by the taskforce Care for the Elderlytaskforce members, with me as the Chair to Email: drnoeline@yahoo.comdrive the process.I am very grateful for the responses I havereceived from members and I would like tosummarise future plans.The aims and objectives of the taskforce willhave to be evaluated to reflect its activities.There is much we can learn from other taskforces,like the development of learning modulesfor interprofessionals as well as specificgroups. The development of small recreationalprogrammes for the elderly in different set-D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 N E W S L E T T E R N U M B E R 0 2 | V O L U M E 2 727