‘Can’t we do this more often, such a party?’, a resident asked me at the end of the party during our two-day anniversary conference.
It was so nice to be able to celebrate this golden anniversary of Verenso live together! And what an energy; wonderful to see – and certainly not only with the young recruits to our profession. Confident, enterprising and full of plans to face the future – which is often announced as worrisome – together.
Verenso is located in the middle of the complicated playing field of elderly care and has been leading the way in geriatric medicine for fifty years.
Half a century ago we started as a scientific society, and a lot has been achieved in that area, just look at the number of guidelines that have been developed. Science and quality are still important pillars of the association, but gradually the emphasis of the association also shifted to positioning the profession with a name change in 2009. An enormous development has been made in the last ten years and advocacy is an important third pillar. become. We have become much more visible.
The work has also changed. The current patients of a geriatric specialist have increasingly complex problems, they no longer only reside in a nursing home and can no longer be compared with the early years.
How are we going to reach the elderly with complex medical care needs?
We all know what demographics look like and what the consequences are; various processes are underway from, among others, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to face the future. The biggest concern is how we will provide the right care for the growing group of elderly people with fewer hands. Much is now left to the elderly themselves: ensure a good network, prevention, et cetera. But will we care about an overload of care questions?
That would be great, but we will also have to be prepared for an increase together. Because how are we going to reach the elderly with complex medical care needs, who do not have the health skills and are no longer self-reliant? Yes, the elderly will probably also grow old with all kinds of preventive measures, but a shift in age backwards will not make the group of vulnerable people smaller. We live longer with multiple chronic diseases. How do we maintain the quality of care that we have built up as healthcare professionals in recent years? How do we avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater when we have to work differently? To do this, we will have to work together with general practitioners, nurses and care providers and others on quality frameworks that give direction to our work. Together we arrive at guiding principles, so that the content is leading.
One thing is certain: we have a job to do together in order to be able to continue to do the right thing for the elderly with complex medical care needs in the future. We need each other to do this: together we are strong for the future! And hopefully in five years we will celebrate another great party.