Institution news
The ever increasing ageing population requires new technologies and social caring means to provide the elderly with sustainable living. Efforts can be directed towards providing the engineering technology for the support of independent living and/or enhanced support in specialised retirement homes.
As part of the IMechE Global Engineering Debate, the Malta Group of Professional Engineering Institutes (MGPEI), IMechE's local representative, hosted a debate, ‘Healthcare Engineering for the Ageing Population’, to identify current and future engineering technology needed to sustain the ageing population. The well-attended event was chaired by Mr. Mike Brewer and organised by Prof. Ing Duncan Camilleri.
The panel included:
- a consultant in orthotics and prosthesis
- an university mechanical engineering academic whose researching biomechanics
- an architect/civil engineer currently conducting research on spatial awareness for people suffering with dementia
- a physiotherapist who works for a leading company providing retirement homes for the elderly
- a head nurse from another leading company providing residential units for the elderly but focused more on independent living.
The panel were able to identify different engineering technologies available to society and directed towards helping the elderly live a better life.
The chairman's opening speech introduced the panel members and the scope of the debate. A pre-debate poll was conducted amongst the audience and panel members, asking which priority area Malta should address through engineering technology to promote sustainable living for the elderly.
Each panel member was asked to give a short speech about their work and what engineering technology is available to assist them in the daily work. They also gave an indication of why, in their own opinion, they voted for a particular priority area. This triggered an energetic debate almost a two hours long,
The debate came to the understanding that:
- a vast amount of engineering technology exists to aid the elderly; this technology will surely advance based on future research and technological development
- there is little awareness about what technology exists
- the current elderly generation is not making full use of the available technology, because of:
- associated costs
- reluctance to adopt engineering products, aids and systems to aid their life.
Overtime, this will probably change as the younger generation are often fully conversant with new technology such as mobile phones. It was also clear that further funding is required from the government to sustain and make the current technology cheaper and available to elderly homes for better independent living.
Following the debate, another poll was conducted on the pre-debate question.
The table above shows the results for the pre-debate poll where providing more technology towards assistance for life at home and independent living scoring the highest. After the debate, providing assistance for life at home and independent living still scored the highest. However, the audience now identified that better and more diverse retirement homes for the elderly should be provided which embrace the engineering technology available and work to make life for the elderly more pleasant both in terms of social aids and specific needs.
It was also established that the current healthcare system offered by the Maltese government for bedridden elderly is excellent and. therefore, no one voted for better healthcare providers.