GEP Medicine in Society Handbook 2019/20
The Medicine in Society unit is the clinical contact module in Year 1 of the GEP course. Students will spend 12 days in primary care and 13 days in seconday care during the year.
3. Themed Days - Primary Care
3.12. The Older Person
Aims
To introduce students to the concept of ageing both as a biomedical and social phenomenon, the demographic changes in the population and the implications for health and the use of services.
Preparatory work
- Read the recommended reading about ageing including a blog account of Elderspeak
- Considered the implications for society, and medical and social services of an increase in the elderly population
Objectives
By the end of the day, the student should be able to:
- Recognise ageing is a natural, developmental process
- Describe some of the different ways that the elderly are regarded within different groups and communities
- Describe the range of services; people and agencies are involved in the support of the older patient in the local community
- Explain some of the implications for the health and social services of an increasingly elderly population
- Identify key policy documents relating to care of older people
Suggested activities
- Tutorial on ageing and communication with an older person.
- Home visit to independent, healthy older person (See Appendix for guidance on home visits)
- Tutorial on Health promotion services for older people provided by the practice e.g. over 75 checks, meeting with health visitor for older people.
- Visit to local voluntary agency working with older people
- Debriefing Tutorial
