This is the sixth version of the course taught by the academic of the Nursing Career of the University of La Serena, Mg. Carmen Retamal, along with students from the program.

According to the World Health Organization, due to increasing life expectancy and declining fertility rates, the proportion of people over the age of 60 is increasing faster than any other age group globally. This situation has been noticed for more than 20 years by the Department's academic. of Nursing from the University of La Serena, Mg. Carmen Retamal, who has focused her work directly on the care and dignified aging of older adults.

It is in this context that, for the 6th time, the course “Gerontological Caregivers” has been taught, in which 13 people have received the tools and skills that allow us to achieve a society of healthy older adults, who age in a dignified manner and who maintain their permanent self-worth.

In this regard, the academic of the Department of Nursing, Mg. Carmen Retamal highlighted the change in the content of this course compared to previous editions. "Although this course is its VI version in which the contents have been more or less the same, what has changed profoundly is that we are working with the new paradigm of care for the elderly, a model promoted by the WHO and which says relationship with being centered on the elderly person, looking at the adult as a subject of rights and not an object.”

“That is why all care must start from knowing the life history of the adult and in this way plan their care according to their preferences, tastes and desires, even in an advanced stage of dependency. With this model, we must put aside welfare and promote the autonomy of older people, regardless of their condition. In this way we will begin from our house of studies to promote the application of this new model, even if it takes a few years to achieve it,” added the academic.

During the certification ceremony, the 3 best grades in the course were awarded; Rossana Moro, Nancy Manríquez and María Cecilia Videla, in addition to two special recognitions as best colleagues to Juana Fuentes and Kevin Delso.

The 6th course of Gerontological Caregivers was held at the University of La Serena, through the Department of Nursing and the Directorate of Liaison with the Environment and Extension of the house of higher education.

The experience of connecting with the Environment

This workshop course has been developed since its inception in conjunction with the Directorate of Liaison with the Environment and Extension, a unit in charge of the Mg. Carlos Varas Madrid, who referred to the importance for the university of generating spaces that improve the quality of life of the community. “Not only is it our commitment to you as a university so that you are educated and have greater training because in this way we are contributing to the community, but it has to do with you and the people you are going to serve, that is the key.”

This experience was also gratifying for the students of the program, who expressed all their gratitude and challenges on this new path they are beginning.

Regarding the experience, student Daniela Tapia highlighted: “The experience was very pleasant, it was very nice, I really like the theme of the elderly. This work helped us to see past content, remember or reinforce things, but more than anything the human issue, the issue of teaching these students that not everything is the technique or the procedure, but that the work is from the heart... there is one thing left. teaching for life too.”