WHO launches digital app to improve care for the elderly

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a digital healthcare technology tool which aims to help health and social workers improve care for the elderly.

The interactive digital application is called, ‘WHO ICOPE Handbook App’ and provides practical guidance for conditions such as mobility limitations, malnutrition, vision and hearing loss, cognitive decline, depressive symptoms and social care and support.

This digital application is needed because the world’s population is aging at a fast pace, and by 2050 one in five people will be over 60. Although every person is different, both physical and mental capacity typically decline with increasing age.

Dr Islene Araujo de Carvalho, group lead on aging and integrated care at WHO, commented: “Such innovation will enable older people to continue doing the things they value and prevent them from social isolation and care dependency.

“Intervening close to where older people live, with active participation of the community and older persons themselves, is essential for a personalized care plan.”

The app hopes to enable health and social workers to better address the diverse needs of older people.