Yesterday, 63 general practitioners received their certificates of participation in multidisciplinary education in geriatric care in the presence of Luxembourg health minister, Lydia Mutsch.
With financing from the Ministry of Health, the Luxembourg Association for Continuing Medical Education (Alformec) ran the 60-hour, 10-module training programme between January 2016 and January 2017.
Minister Mutsch stressed the importance of the programme in the face of an expanding population of elderly citizens. "Over the coming decades, the number of elderly people will increase considerably. Thus, according to a Eurostat study, by 2060, Luxembourg's population is predominantly ageing and those over 65 will account for more than 26% of the total population,” she said.
As a consequence, the doctors of the future will be confronted ever more with the specific concerns and needs of the elderly, the old and very old.
Given the great interest of general practitioners and the importance of adequate continuing education on geriatrics, the Ministry of Health said it is considering a second cycle of continuing education for 2018, in consultation with Alformec.
The presentation of the certificates was followed by a lecture on diabetology by professor Martin Buysschaert of the UCL and a presentation on the alternative care of demented patients. The guests and recipients then visited the "Beim Goldknapp" care home, which specialises in alternative care for patients suffering from a dementia.
Image: © MOH
