Why elderly people are dying of non-communicable diseases – Expert

A health-tech company, Gerocare, has said many elderly people in Nigeria are facing deteriorating health conditions and untimely deaths due to the absence of geriatric care. It stressed the need to enhance preventive care for parents and the elderly to reduce the burden of preventable diseases and deaths. The founder of Gerocare, Dr Ebi Ofrey, […]

A health-tech company, Gerocare, has said many elderly people in Nigeria are facing deteriorating health conditions and untimely deaths due to the absence of geriatric care.

It stressed the need to enhance preventive care for parents and the elderly to reduce the burden of preventable diseases and deaths.

The founder of Gerocare, Dr Ebi Ofrey, said this during a virtual news conference of Gerocare Fifth Anniversary.

According to him, care of the elderly should be improved, noting that many Nigerians were losing their parents and elderly to various non-communicable diseases.

He stated that Gerocare was formed to provide regular physician home visits for the elderly to prevent deterioration in the health of the elderly, maintain a healthy state of mind and improved quality of life.

“We do this by identifying and managing their health conditions in a timely manner, thereby not only improving their quality of life, but also ensuring peace of mind for both the elderly and their loved ones.

“Your parents deserve long, fruitful and healthy years in their old age, no matter the village your aged parent lives in, Gerocare will get to them,” he said.

Ofrey noted that the company since its inception had impacted over 115,000 users and won various international awards including the World Health Organisation’s Top 30 Africa Health Innovation Award.

“The key milestone for us is not the award but every single person that we’ve impacted and prevented from having a stroke or heart attack,” he said.

Co-founder of Gerocare, Dr Ajibola Meraiyebu, said subscribers on the company’s platform received regular and detailed updates on their health status, steps to take to prevent illnesses and efficient ways to manage their health.

He noted that the company was working on expanding its footprint to reach more underserved persons and extend its services beyond Nigeria to Ethiopia and South Africa.

He said Gerocare was promoting preventive healthcare through health education and care that reminded the elderly that they are loved and their wellbeing is important to their loved ones.

Speaking on Gerocare’s fifth-anniversary celebration, Meraiyebu said the activities reflect the company’s slogan of “Care for life.”

Meraiyebu stated that the anniversary activities which slated for August 29 to September 2, would feature a health walk, dance for wellness, health talk and social networking among others.