The Gerontological Association of Belarus is preparing for the "Decade of Healthy Aging" 2020-2030

The Belarusian Republican Gerontological Public Association is preparing for the "Decade of Healthy Aging" 2020-2030. This was announced by the chairman of the association, Doctor of Medical Sciences Andrey Ilnitsky, at the International Scientific and Practical Conference at the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

Recently, new approaches to healthy aging and the provision of medical and social care for elderly and senile people, including in stationary social institutions, have emerged. The World Health Organization has developed and presented the General Strategy and Action Plan for Healthy Aging in October this year. And worldwide, including in Belarus, the "Decade of Healthy Aging" will be announced for 2020-2030.

"We need to prepare for this now in order to conduct the decade competently. The tasks of gerontological societies and social institutions are to prepare the groundwork for this. What action plan does our association propose based on WHO recommendations? First of all, it is very important for people to know what healthy aging is. We need to develop an environment friendly to the elderly, stationary social institutions, and prepare a modern geriatric service," explained Andrey Ilnitsky.

To promote the ideas of healthy aging in society, cooperation with the media has already been activated: a series of publications and interviews with domestic and foreign specialists have been organized. Social institutions themselves, in cooperation with healthcare, public organizations, and educational institutions, are conducting educational events. Andrey Ilnitsky cited an informational event held on November 18 at the Novopolotsk State Musical College, where young people learned about the peculiarities of the elderly body and how to take them into account in rehabilitation. Also, by putting on special simulators, they experienced the problems of the elderly themselves: limited mobility, vision impairment, and others. In addition, the training of specialists in gerontology and the introduction of a team approach in the rehabilitation of patients in older age groups have begun in the country.

The international scientific and practical conference "Gerontology: Preserving Traditions, Moving into the Future" is taking place today in Vitebsk with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus, the leadership of the Research Medical Center "Gerontology" (Moscow), and the National Gerontology Center of Moldova.

Ekaterina Knyazeva, BELTA.