Challenges in the Elderly Care System in Iran: A Qualitative Study

• Published in: Majallāh-i ʻilmī-i Dānishgāh-i ʻUlūm-i Pizishkī-i Kurdistān Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 101 - 114
• Main Authors: Mohsen Shati, Amjad Mohamadi Bolbanabad, Mehdi Zokaei, Seyran Mohamadi Bolbanabad, Ebrahim Ghaderi, Ghobad Moradi, Hossein Safari, Reza Faday Vatan, Majid Rahimi, Salime Goharinezhad, Bakhtiar Piroozi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Persian
• Published: Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences 01.08.2023
• Subjects: challenge; elderly; health service; iran
• ISSN: 1560-652X; 2345-4040

Background and Aim: A comprehensive understanding of the current state of geriatric care in Iran is necessary in order to strengthen and align it for responding to the current and future needs of the elderly in the country. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers in the elderly care system in Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study. Forty semi-structured interviews were carried out with various participants involved in providing care to the elderly across the country in 2019. Participants were selected using maximum variation sampling. Using MAXQDA10 software, data were analyzed by the qualitative content analysis method based on six building blocks of health systems developed by the world health organization. Results: Challenges and barriers in the elderly care system were categorized into six groups: service delivery, health workforce, health information system, access to essential medicine, financing, and governance/leadership. Also, some of the most important challenges of the elderly care system included: absence of a single organization with sufficient power as the steward for providing the elderly services, lack of integration of services for the elderly from primary care to specialized care; shortage or inadequate distribution of skilled manpower; lack of insurance coverage for home care services for the elderly; lack of registry system or database for the elderly; lack of or weakness in elderly-friendly activities in the service centers. Conclusion: The current elderly care system in Iran faces many challenges in all six building blocks of the World Health Organization. Reforming and redesigning the elderly care system based on the findings of this study is necessary and urgent in order to meet the needs of the elderly in the country.