WHO Launches Digital App to Improve Care for Seniors

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a digital healthcare tool to help health and social workers improve care for senior citizens, reports Medical Plastics News . The WHO ICOPE Handbook App delivers guidance for conditions that include mobility limitations, malnutrition, vision and hearing loss, cognitive decline, depression, and social care and support. The app is required because the global population is rapidly aging, with one in five people projected to be over 60 by 2050. "Such innovation will enable older people to continue doing the things they value and prevent them from social isolation and care dependency," explained WHO's Islene Araujo de Carvalho. "Intervening close to where older people live, with active participation of the community and older persons themselves, is essential for a personalized care plan." The app is designed to enable health and social workers to better address the older population's various necessities.