Journal of Aging Science

Ageing in an Italian County

3^rd Geriatrics and Healthcare Conference: For a better Aging Care

March 30, 2021 | Webinar

Babette Dijk

Regional Health Department, Italy

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Aging Sci

Abstract:

The aging population is increasing overall in the world and Italy is one of the oldest countries. In Italy there are 7.500.000 people there are 75 years or older, 60% of them are women, 40% are men. Liguria is the oldest county of Italy: the percentage of old people (older than 65 years) is 28,7% and the life expectancy for the elderly is 18,9 years for men and 22,4 for women. The center for the network of the geriatric care is the geriatric department, but it’s not present in every local unit. The geriatric care is provided in geriatric day-hospitals (only for diagnostic daytime services), intermediate care (for functional recovery in inpatients with hip fracture), daytime centers (for socialization and family relief in case of patients affected by dementia), community home medical care (to treat, care and rehabilitate patients at home), assisted living homes (for semi independent patients), nursing homes (for high depended patients), Alzheimer units (for patients affected by AD with behavioral disturbances) and hospice (for terminally ill patients). There are also projects to prevent degenerative diseases in the aging population by physical and mental exercise (physical adapted activity and memory training).

Biography :

Babette Dijk was born in Amsterdam, but lives in Italy since she was 8 years old. She graduated in Medicine in 1998 and she specialized in Geriatrics in 2004. Since 2005 she works in Chiavari for the National Public Health Service. She is member of the Italian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (President of the Ligurian Section) and of the Italian Psychogeriatric Association. She is also member of the dementia network of the county of Liguria. She works in a Long-term Riabilitative Facility for Elderly since 2005. Since 2001 she is interested in the field of dementia: she attended the Alzheimer Clinic by Fatebenefratelli in Brescia in 2001 and since 2002 she works in memory clinic for outpatients first in San Martino Genova and later in Chiavari. She is the chief of the Memory Clinic for outpatients in Chiavari. She teaches Internal Medicine by the Faculty of Nursing Science. She published posters in national congresses in geriatric field and gave talks and lectures in national and regional congresses.