Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) discussed the ethical and legal issues related to caring for the elderly during the latest instalment of the series, Intersection of Law and Medicine.
Convening online, a panel of expert speakers discussed international best practices in protecting and enhancing the care and well-being of older persons, and the current legal and policy approach concerning caring for the elderly in the Middle East.
They also identified shortcomings in the provision of care for older people within existing frameworks and outlined strategies for improving their well-being in Qatar.
Experts from WCM-Q, HBKU and HMC worked together to deliver the latest instalment of WCM-Q’s Intersection of Law & Medicine series.
Older Persons’ Care and Well-Being
The event, titled Older Persons’ Care and Well-being: Legal and Policy Approaches to Protecting the Vulnerable, was coordinated and delivered by the WCM-Q Division of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), in collaboration with the College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).
The event featured several expert speakers. Dr Thurayya Arayssi and Dr Barry Solaiman served as course directors.
- Dr Hamed Al-Sinawi (Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman)
- Dr Suzanne Hammad (Northwestern University in Qatar/Georgetown University in Qatar)
- Dr Jonathan Herring (Oxford University)
- Dr Shereen Hussein (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
- Dr Mani Chandran (Qatar University)
Dementia
In Dr Hammad’s presentation, she discussed the provision of care for older people and people with dementia in the Gulf region. She noted the many positive factors such as well-developed welfare services, good support for caregivers and vibrant culture of non-government organisations advocating for older persons’ care. However, she said that drawbacks included occasionally haphazard implementation of care policies, gender biases, problems addressing care outside of the family sphere, and poor regulation of domestic caregivers.
Pressing issue in Oman: Dr Hamed Al-Sinawi explained that dementia and care for older people are becoming a more pressing issue in Oman owing to a projected increase in the population of people aged over 60 – from 6% at present to 20% in 2050. The trend has led to an increased interest in dementia and presents opportunities for improving awareness of the disease, including training more qualified professionals specialised in caring for older people.
Qatar National Dementia Plan: Dr Chandran, meanwhile, said that Qatar is the first Arab nation to have a national dementia plan focused on these work areas
- Dementia as a public health priority
- Awareness
- Risks
- Diagnosis, treatment, healthcare and support
- Support to caregivers
- Information systems
- Related research and innovation
Regarding the legal position of people with dementia, Dr Chandran also touched upon the stigma and how it can impede the provision of care; and the issue of mental capacity in relation to financial decision-making.
Mental Capacity Act: Dr Herring explained that under English law, the Mental Capacity Act is designed to protect the autonomy of individuals and empower people who may lack the capacity to make their own decisions about their finances, care and treatment. Dr Hussein said that a big number of young population in the region has led to that demographic having significant influence over the policy discourse. He underlined the importance of the role of the family in the Gulf region, both in terms of providing care and facilitating access to care.
In closing, Dr Arayssi said that the social stigma surrounding dementia is a problem that must be addressed to ensure that those who need care are able to access it. She said that raising awareness of the issue is crucially important.
The event was accredited by the Ministry of Public Health Department of Healthcare Professions – Accreditation Section and by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
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