Berlin Senate wants to better serve seniors

The Berlin Senate wants to meet the challenges posed by demographic change to the healthcare system with a new concept. Accordingly, the supply of old people should be improved. With "80plus" auxiliary systems would be better networked, the Senate Department for Health told the news agency "dpa".

Berlin Senate plans better care of senior citizens. (Image: Photographee.eu/fotolia.com)

Care of seniors should be expanded
By the summer of 2016, concrete agreements will be made on the basis of a series of technical dialogues and a Citizens' Forum. According to the Senate, demographic change makes this necessary to improve the care of the elderly. According to forecasts, twice as many people over the age of 80 are expected to live in Berlin by 2030 as they do today.

The healthcare system is facing major challenges as a result of this increase. In order to counteract this, primary care physicians should be trained more in the field of geriatric medicine. In this way, age-related conditions such as dementia could be better recognized, said Health Senator Mario Czaja (CDU) to the news agency. In addition, closer cooperation between hospitals and general practitioners should ensure better care for the elderly. Fundamentally, it would not only be about health and nursing care, but also about the social participation of older people. (Ag)