Essays

Gerontology – A Public Health Subspecialty

Spomenka Tomek-Roksandić
Goran Perko
Mate Ljubičić
Hrvoje Radašević
Ana Puljak
Diana Mihok
Luka Kovačić
Zvonko Šošić

Abstract

Gerontology is a public health subspecialty
in accordance with UEMS and EUMAG. In May 2005, the
Croatian Society for Public Health and the Croatian Society for
Gerontology and Geriatrics of the Croatian Medical Association
accepted the draft Programme of Subspecialty in Gerontology.
The requisite skills and knowledge from the fi eld of gerontology,
which a public health specialist should acquire over a 12-
month period, were elaborated. An interdisciplinary approach
to gerontology, along with the understanding and knowledge of
Croatian and European gerontologic doctrine, implementation
of gerontologic database, knowledge of gerontologic standards
and legislation, as well as of the network and role of gerontologic
institutions and non-institutionalised care, are indispensable in
the implementation of this programme. Public health specialists
should get familiar with some practical aspects of keeping
of the Register of Monitoring and Studying of Health Needs
and Functional Capabilities of the Elderly by county/region of
Croatia and the City of Zagreb, Register of Alzheimer’s Disease,
Register of Croatian Centenaires, planning of the Programme
of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Prevention for the Elderly,
role of Centres for Gerontology of County Institutes of Public
Health, Programme of Medical Measures and Procedures in
Elderly Health Care, management for the elderly, gerontology
and its methods, gerontologic-public health problems related
to morbidity and mortality in this age group, four „I’s” in
geriatrics (immobility, instability, incontinence and intellectual
impairment), and prevention of the geriatric “domino” effect.
During this subspecialisation, specifi c knowledge related to
the defi nition of risk factors for debilitating aging and negative
health behaviour will be acquired and the programme for
meeting of health needs of the elderly will be evaluated
in cooperation with related institutions. The examinations,
i.e. colloquia, will be based on training in gerontology and
conducted by gerontology centres, old people’s homes and other
interdisciplinary gerontology centres. Upon subspecialisation, a
bachelor’s thesis in gerontology is required.

Keywords

gerontology; subspecialty

Hrčak ID:

18885

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/18885

Publication date:

17.10.2005.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 4.729 *