In statements to Lusa, geriatrics specialist Sofia Duque, considered that this type of programs "must be implemented in the structure of the NHS" as "a response that is part of the range of responses that the NHS has to offer, and not something punctual", as happens with other types of clinical responses "that no one questions whether they should exist in all hospitals or not", such as, for example, the emergency service.

"As far as this type of response [geriatrics] is concerned, we also need this type of structuring in terms of, for example, geriatrics consultations or acute hospitalization units in geriatrics", stated the specialist, adding that "this type of response needs to be seen as a basic structure of the NHS".

National and international specialists met in Lisbon last week, in a meeting co-organized by the Southern Regional Council of the Medical Association and the consortium "Programming Cost Action 21122".

The meeting discussed the challenges related to population aging and Geriatric Medicine.

According to the statistical database Pordata, currently 24% of the Portuguese population is aged 65 or over, making Portugal the second country with the highest proportion of elderly people in the European Union. Estimates indicate that in 2050 people aged 55 or over will represent more than 45% of the population in Portugal.

In order to respond to these challenges and promote a sustainable health system, the specialists highlighted during the meeting the importance of implementing and making accessible throughout the country specialized programs in the area of Geriatric Medicine, considering that they "present both significant clinical and economic benefits".

Questioned by Lusa about the specific hospitalization units and which patients would be destined for these places, Sofia Duque replied that "patients who are at risk of functional deterioration, who have cognitive changes, will benefit from the evaluation of the approach in this type of units (...) following the principles of geriatrics".

The specialist also stressed the need for training health professionals in this area, considering that "it is not [a subject] exclusive to doctors. It is for doctors and all the elements that are part of the multidisciplinary team. Basically, all the health professionals who are necessary for these responses should have training in Geriatrics, whether they are doctors, nurses, physiotherapists or others".

"The fact that Geriatrics is not recognized as a specialty also contributes to this because there is no dissemination of the geriatric culture in health services and in training curricula", she considered.

The specialist defended the importance of primary health care professionals also having training in this area, recalling that "a large part of the elderly resort to it".

"I argue that this is not incompatible with the creation of a specialty. Probably, the most complex patients would, in fact, have to be approached in a hospital setting by geriatrics. As happens with other specialties", she stated.

"We know our population in terms of age, but it is very poorly characterized in terms of its functional and cognitive situation, which are fundamental aspects for people to continue to live autonomously in the community, which is what, initially, we all individually desire, but also for the sustainability of our health and social system would be fundamental", she stated.

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