Will the aging tsunami sweep Iran?

On August 25, Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) quoted deputy director for rehabilitation at the Iranian Welfare Organization Dr. Yahya Sokhangooei as saying that the country’s population is aging and plans need to be worked out to prevent problems down the line. The following is an excerpt of the report the news agency filed on the welfare official’s remarks:

Given that the country is heading toward an aging generation, Dr. Sokhangooei called on all those over 60 years of age to gradually visit welfare centers in order to help the organization gather information on the elderly population and size up their needs.

Pointing out that day- and night-care welfare facilities offer services to 23,000 elderly people, he said, “Our society is aging and in the absence of adequate plans, the country’s healthcare system will be overwhelmed by the tsunami of aging.”

Over the course of such visits if a senior citizen is diagnosed with an ailment, a panel of doctors will meet to identify his/her needs. He went on to say, “Of course, many elderly people can be given a clean bill of health. However, there are some who might need medical care and equipment such as hearing aid, wheelchair, and so forth.

We are seeking to identify the health problems of senior citizens based on statistics and piece together future policy, he said, concluding with updated figures concerning the elderly at our disposal, we will be able to provide budget for our future policies and make predictions about their probable needs.