On November 19th, DTU and Seirei Christopher University, from Japan, held a Social work and Self-care Support training course for DTU Nursing students, taught by Dr. Ueda Yutarou and Dr. Noda Yukari, experts in Welfare education.
Dr. Ueda Yutaro
Dr. Yutaro emphasized the strong demand for elderly-care professionals in countries with increasingly older populations, such as Japan and Vietnam. In 2010, 22.7% of Japan’s population was 65 or older, which is expected to rise to 29.3% by 2025. In Vietnam in 2010, the percentage was only 6% but is forecasted to reach 11.7% by 2025. As a result, Japan has been focusing much more on self-management support, teaching the elderly how to look after themselves as far as possible.
Dr. Yutaro said that drinking water, proper nutrition and self-care ability are key elements in maintaining the health of the elderly, and gave several examples to demonstrate this. He described a patient who had digestion problems, couldn’t eat normally or walk without assistance. After only 3 months, they could walk with a cane and no longer required medication or diapers.
DTU Nursing students
Dr. Noda Yukari then talked about elderly-care careers in Japan, the job and requirements. He said that, for nurses to do a better job, they must fully understand the minds of the elderly, their expressions, movements and other indicators of their needs.
Nguyen Thi Tu Uyen, of K23YDD2, said: “By attending this course, I have learned more about elderly-care career requirements, about the skills that I currently lack and how I can improve myself. I have also learned how to use medical devices in various situations to get the best results.”
(Media Center)