“Social Development” and Hamad Medical Raise Awareness on Safe Fasting for the Elderly
In the engagement between Hamad Medical Corporation and the Ministry of Social Development and Family, the Community Care Department of the ministry held a lecture entitled "Guidelines and Advice for the Elderly for Safe Fasting". This lecture was presented by Dr. Maryam Al-Obaidly, Senior Consultant Geriatric Medicine, Rumailah Hospital, and Ms. Wafaa Mohammed, Dietician at Rumailah Hospital.
This lecture also aims to raise the level of public health awareness among the elderly and those who care for them, and introduce them to the mechanism of safe fasting, to protect and enhance the health of the elderly in the holy month of Ramadan. Moreover, they emphasize the importance of healthy food for them.
Dr. Mariam Al-Obaidly, Senior Consultant Geriatrics, spoke in this lecture about several axes, including: the physiological changes that occur to the elderly during fasting, and the health problems facing the elderly during fasting. It also included important tips and instructions for the elderly before fasting the holy month of Ramadan, including the obstacles to fasting.
In this regard, Dr. Mariam Al-Obaidly explained that there are physiological changes that occur to the elderly during fasting, including a decrease in cell metabolism and a decrease in the functional capacity of most parts of the body. Muscular activity also weakens, and the speed of response to nerve stimuli decreases by 15%. In some cases, there is a weakness in the taste sense, which leads to a lack of sense of taste and flavor, which reduces the appetite for food in the elderly, in addition to the lack of secretion of digestive juices in the stomach, which affects the lack of efficiency of the process of digestion and absorption in the elderly.
Regarding the impediments to fasting, Dr. Al-Obaidly emphasized that the elderly should stop fasting and break their fast immediately when any emergency health symptoms appear, such as fatigue, dizziness, dehydration, a drop in blood pressure or a sharp or noticeable drop in blood sugar. Ms. Wafaa Mohammed, a nutritionist at Rumailah Hospital, also provided an important piece of nutritional advice on healthy fasting for the elderly.
Regarding the role that the Ministry attaches to the targeted groups, Mrs. Reem Al-Ajmi, Acting Director of the Community Care Department at the Ministry, stated: “The Ministry of Social Development and Family pays great attention to the elderly category. The Ministry always seeks to educate them by holding various workshops and lectures. The organization of this workshop comes In line with the competence of the Community Care Department to implement national strategies, plans and policies related to the elderly, in addition to organizing conferences, seminars and workshops to discuss all issues of the elderly.
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