DOHA: Families are hesitant to send senior members to elderly homes despite facilities and services there, a top official from Qatar Foundation for Elderly People (Ihsan) says, urging awareness campaigns.
Dr Eyad Hamid Abu Mattar, Director, Home Care Section, said there were families that still found it strange to take their parents to elderly care centres while others believed it was their right to take care of their parents. “This is a challenge we face and requires awareness among families,” he said.
Ihsan was founded in 2012 and despite families’ hesitation to take elderly members to its centres, the foundation has seen an increase in the number of senior people benefiting from its programmes.
“We have about 600 elderly benefiting from our programmes and the number is expected to go up to 900 by the year-end,” he said.
The foundation is increasing its staff to cope with the increasing number of the elderly who need specialised care.
Currently, there are five groups — each with a specialist doctor, a nurse and a psychologist — taking care of the elderly at the establishment, Dr Mattar said, adding they expected to increase the number of teams to 10.
Dr Mattar told Arabic daily Al Raya that services were not limited to only the elderly at their homes in the Airport Area.
They are available from Umm Sallal to Bu Dhuluf. The foundation’s working groups reach out to the elderly in their homes.
Ihsan offers services, including mobile chairs, bathroom chairs and medical beds, among others.
Dr Mattar called on families with elderly members to always consult a specialist doctor and opt for routine medical examinations.
He said such examinations are essential for any elderly, especially before fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and urged families to follow the doctor’s advice in case an elderly member is advised not to fast.
The Peninsula
