SPMC to conduct elderly care convention

THE Southern Philippines Medical Center-Department of Internal Medicine (SPMC-DIM) will conduct an elderly care convention on September 1 and 2 at The Pinnacle Hotel and Suites to discuss the emerging need to improve elder care in the region.

SPMC-DIM Chief Resident Dr. Charlie Clarion, during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media conference held at The Annex of SM City Davao on Monday, August 21, said 400 doctors as well as 100 nurses and caregivers from different cities and provinces in Mindanao are expected to join the convention.

Clarion said 24 speakers from different medical fields in the country will discuss various topics regarding elder care such as preventive medicines, surgical assessments, psychiatric issues, chronic diseases, elderly abuse, and elderly care issues.

"There is a need to assess and view the present and previous elderly care paradigms in the country, specifically in our region, because we want to have specialists and caregivers who really are knowledgeable in taking good care of our senior citizens as they need a certain kind of special treatment," he said.

SPMC Geriatric Clinic, Clarion said, has 100 to 150 elder patients every day as of January to July of this year. He added that half of the daily patients come from home for the aged institutions in the region.

Majority of the consultations, Clarion said, are on hypertension and diabetes cases while there are also some senior citizens who just come to the clinic without any illnesses to talk with resident doctors and assure themselves that they are healthy.

Free consultations, vaccinations, and medicines, he said, are being offered by SPMC Geriatric Clinic for both walk-in and home for the aged patients.