All European countries are facing a growing
population of older persons. Demographic
studies indicate that by 2050, Europe will
have 173 million people of age 65 and above;
this amounts to 27.6% of the total
population.
Most older persons are in good health
and have a high level of well-being. Health
problems frequently occur in people of age
75 and above. The incidence of chronic
diseases increases with the years and the
prevalence of functional deficits increases
sub-stantially.
Our current health care
system is not prepared for the growing
population of older persons.
Older persons are often marginalized and
kept on the sidelines. Even today, many
nurses, with
the exception of those that work in nursing
homes, do not believe that the ageing of the
population will affect them. This is not the
case, however, as in the future, nurses in
all fields of care will encounter a growing
number of older patients. The specific
demands of older persons create a challenge
for nurses. |
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In the fourth European Nursing Congress, the
central theme is older persons as the future
of care.
In this congress, nurses from all
fields of health care, including homecare
workers, general hospital staff, mental
health professionals and carers for the
mentally disabled, are invited to share
their methods and their research findings
with regard to care for older persons. The
motivation and training of students to train
in caring for older persons is another key
component. To ensure quality of care for older persons both now and in the future,
issues regarding the labour market and
labour saving must be brought into focus.
How can we create greater efficiency of care
by means of, for example, technological
support? Innovation, new ideas and
creativity in organizing care will be
highlighted during the Congress. |
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