The Primary Health Care Corp (PHCC) has called for promoting the mental and physical health of the elderly, and ensuring their protection from exposure to diseases and coronavirus (Covid-19) infection by avoiding family gatherings and visits, maintaining a safe distance and avoiding physical contact with them such as shaking hands, as well as taking into account the psychological and mental changes they are going through, while stressing the need to integrate the elderly into the family and society.
The PHCC said that early, rapid and timely diagnosis and medical intervention, and changing wrong behaviours, can save the life of a patient with heart disease, and avoid complications resulting from delays in treatment.
Director of the PHCC’s Home Health Care Department, Dr Ashraf Helmy, stressed upon the importance of nutritional regulation for the elderly, by helping them to regularly eat healthy balanced meals, making sure that they engage in simple exercises and get enough sleep and rest, and paying attention to their mental health, which in turn supports their physical health.
On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, he called on caregivers for the elderly, their children and families, to also ensure that the elderly are integrated into family and social surroundings and kept active and entertained at all times, and not only on special events.
For her part, Leabaib Health Centre manager Dr Muna al-Saadi cautioned that 80% of deaths caused by heart disease can be avoided by staying away from smoking, exercising regularly, eating healthy, and losing weight.
She indicated that the corporation's celebration of World Heart Day on September 29 every year is an opportunity to educate people about the need to change behaviours that are harmful to the heart and follow the beneficial ones.
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