DHA provides quality care to UAE elders

DUBAI: A Dubai Health Authority, DHA, official has noted that all efforts to provide comprehensive quality care for UAE elders are being employed.

DHA Seniors’ Happiness Centre Director Dr. Salwa Al Suwaidi explained that the centre exerts all efforts to ensure the provision of high-quality preventative, diagnostic and treatment services to some 300 visiting individuals and 20 inpatients.

She went on to note that the Seniors’ Happiness Centre is the only one of its kind in the emirate that provides “comprehensive and highly specialised” geriatric care to Emirati elders in an ideal family-like environment that ensures their physical and mental wellbeing.

Dr. Al Suwaidi added that the centre had implemented all necessary precautionary measures to protect inpatient seniors from the coronavirus. As for visiting elderly patients, the centre provided them with the necessary physical and psychological care via home visits and telemedicine consultations, as well as ensuring that they receive their subscribed medicines.

The centre utilised virtual smart applications to provide seniors with tips on how to cope and protect themselves from the virus, particularly as they are one of the segments that are prone to develop serious life-threatening symptoms, she added.

Highlighting some of the services at the centre, Dr. Al Suwaidi said it provides long-term residence for Emirati elders of Dubai who do not have first-degree relatives and also provides short-term residence of up to 60 days to elders that meet certain criteria.

The Seniors’ Happiness Centre also provides day care services for Emirati senior citizens of Dubai, medical supervision, comprehensive daily nursing care, physical, rehabilitative and occupational therapy, cognitive enhancement services, medical supervision of emergency cases among the residents of the centre and psychological, social and recreational services.

The Centre Director added that the DHA has “exerted great efforts to enhance the capabilities of the centre and provide it with the best treatment, rehabilitation and recreational facilities that help elders lead a healthy life.” Dr. Al Suwaidi said that currently six per cent of the Emirati population are elders, and this rate is expected to increase to 11 per cent by 2030, due to the advancements in healthcare and standards of living.

She highlighted that before the country’s union, the average life expectancy was 53 years. Citing the DHA’S annual statistical report, Dr. Al Suwaidi noted, now life expectancy in the UAE averages up to 80 years of age, and is considered on of the highest life expectancy rates in the Middle East region.