The meeting took place on 1 October at Fundación Cajasol in Seville.

ADVANTAGE JA (Joint Action) aims to prevent frailty. 34 institutions are taking part in this project which is coordinated by Spain, specifically by Getafe University Hospital run by Madrid’s Public Health Service. A common European framework has been established in the project in order to tackle the problem of frailty, which is the main risk factor connected with disability in elderly people.

With the theme “Una estrategia para la promoción del envejecimiento saludable en Europa: combatiendo la fragilidad” (A Strategy for the Promotion of Healthy Ageing in Europe: Tackling Frailty), the third meeting of Spanish stakeholders was co-organised by the Department of Health and Family of the Andalusian Regional Government, the Research Foundation of the University Hospital of Valencia together with the University of Valencia, Castile-La Mancha Health Service and Kronikgune. A report on frailty, “Informe sobre la atención a la fragilidad en España” (Report on Care for Frailty in Spain), and final recommendations agreed at ADVANTAGE JA to deal with frailty were presented. The results of the project’s consortium were also shared regarding the following areas:

  • Promotion of healthy ageing: a continuum that starts in the community
  • Early detection of frailty to increase life expectancy with no disabilities: necessary changes in the healthcare system and the social system
  • Prejudices against ageing and age discrimination
  • Role of elderly people in the development of public policy on ageing
  • Role of partners in multisectoral strategies to deal with frailty

The meeting was aimed at national, regional and local organisations in charge of healthcare and social policy on ageing, and other kinds of entities. Attendees included healthcare professionals (medical, nursing, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, nutrition, etc.) and others such as organisations and institutions with activities and programmes aimed at elderly people; foundations and associations working with elderly people; formal and informal carers; and research groups working in areas aligned with ageing.

At the round table called “Medidas actuales para promover la independencia y la autonomía” (Current Measures to Foster Independence and Autonomy), the Regional Deputy Minister for Employment and Social Policy, Libe Amilibia, presented the “2015-2020 Basque Active Ageing Strategy”. During the presentation, the Deputy Minister highlighted cross-cutting preventive policy put in place by the Basque Government for anticipation and prevention in order to age better and foster autonomy and independence of people as they grow older. Some of the actions carried out by the Basque Department for Employment and Social Policy were shown, such as the guide for active and healthy ageing, created together with the Department for Health; guides to make homes dementia-friendly; and the guide for dementia-friendly establishments and restaurants, to name but a few. Attendees were very interested in the Basque Telecare Service Betion, which offers personalised care and fosters the autonomy of elderly people.

Iñaki Martín Lesende, a professional working with Osakidetza and representative of the Spanish Family and Community Medicine Society (semFYC) in the frailty work group of the Department for Health, also took part in the meeting with a presentation called “La promoción del envejecimiento saludable en Atención Primaria” (Promotion of Healthy Ageing in Primary Care).

If you would like to know more about the meeting you can download the programme. You can also visit the project’s official website to see the reports that will soon be available.