Contemporary analysis of the relevance of the geriatric care degree program in Ambato, Ecuador

Authors

Keywords:

relevance, higher education, geriatrics, elderly, population

Abstract

Introduction: The population over 65 years of age has increased worldwide. Ecuador faces challenges of demographic change, with an increase in life expectancy, which implies the need to develop strategies for medical care and social welfare. The key to meeting the care needs of older adults is to train professionals who are able to understand their physical, social, and mental changes.

Objective: To analyze the relevance of the geriatric care degree program in Ambato, Ecuador, through a comprehensive study of regulatory references, demographic and technological trends, and government plans to support a new academic proposal based on the country's demands.

Methods: The search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Initially, 66 documents were identified with the inclusion criteria, and then they were sorted according to their relevance using the Mendeley bibliographic manager, leaving 18 texts. The data were tabulated.

Results: Several international policies, regulatory references, and government, provincial and cantonal plans support an academic degree program aimed at training professionals to care for and attend to older adults. Therefore, the relevance of geriatric education is justified.

Conclusions: The creation of a geriatric care degree program in the city of Ambato is relevant, as it responds to global demographic dynamics and addresses the growing demand in the context of aging.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Gabriela Fernanda Sandoval, Universidad Técnica de Ambato

Docente

Andrea Carolina Cevallos Teneda, Universidad Técnica de Ambato

Docente

Vivian González Aguilar, Universidad Técnica de Ambato

Docente

References

1. Muñoz DA. Importance of clinical gerontological care in the first level of healthcare. Rev Cub Med Gen Integr. 2018 [acceso 03/09/2024];34(1):71-6. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?pid=S0864-21252018000100009&script=sci_abstract&tlng=en

2. Korotayev A, Butovskaya M, Shulgin S, Zinkina J. How can the global ageing affect the global value system? An evolutionary perspective. Soc Evol Hist. 2023 [acceso 03/09/2024];22(1):57-76. Disponible en: https://publications.hse.ru/en/articles/830597986

3. Buritica E, Ordoñez L. Modelo de gestión sostenible en la atención comunitaria del adulto mayor. Rev Cub Inv Bioméd. 2020 [acceso 03/09/2024];39(2). Disponible en: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/392

4. Lee J, Phillips D, Wilkens J, Team GGAD. Gateway to global aging data: resources for cross-national comparisons of family, social environment, and healthy aging. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021;76(supl 1):s5-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab050

5. Burnes D, Sheppard C, Henderson CR, Wassel M, Cope R, Barber C, et al. Interventions to reduce ageism against older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Public Health. 2019;109(8):e1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2019.305123

6. Kotsani M, Kravvariti E, Avgerinou C, Panagiotakis S, Tzanetakou KB, Antoniadou E, et al. The relevance and added value of geriatric medicine (Gm): Introducing gm to non-geriatricians. J Clin Med. 2021;10(14):3018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10143018

7. Tixi JM, Ortega GM. Pertinencia de un posgrado en salud pública en una Zona de Planificación de Ecuador. Una visión de empleabilidad. Rev Navar Méd. 2020;6(2):37-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61182/rnavmed.v6n2a4

8. Macdonald J, Levy SR. Addressing stereotypes of aging and interest in careers working with older adults through education. Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2021;42(3):363-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2020.1854246

9. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO). Declaración mundial sobre la educación superior en el siglo XXI: visión y acción. Educ Méd Super. 2000 [acceso 03/09/2024];14(3). Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0864-21412000000300006

10. Flores S. El Envejecimiento en el siglo XXI y la necesidad de profesionales en gerontología. Rev Identidad Boliv. 2021;5(2):37-51. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.37611/IB5ol237-51

11. Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior. Quito, Ecuador; 2010. (Oct. 10, 1994).

12. Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA). Consejo Interamericano para el Desarrollo Integral-CIDI. OEA; 2015 [acceso 03/09/2024]. Disponible en: https://www.oas.org/es/cidi/acerca.asp

13. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO). La UNESCO avanza La Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible. UNESCO; 2017 [acceso 03/09/2024]. Disponible en: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247785_spa

14. Secretaria Nacional de Planificación. Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2021-2025 Agenda 2030. Acuerdo Nro. SNP-SNP-2023-003-A. 2023 [acceso 03/09/2024]. Disponible en: https://www.planificacion.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Matriz-de-alineacion-Plan-Nacional-de-Desarrollo-2021-2025-Agenda-2030.pdf

15. Ley Orgánica de las personas Adultas Mayores. Quito; 2019 [acceso 03/09/2024]. (Abr. 24, 2019) Disponible en: https://www.gob.ec/sites/default/files/regulations/2019-06/Documento_%20LEY%20ORGANICA%20DE%20LAS%20PERSONAS%20ADULTAS%20MAYORES.pdf

16. Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC). Censo Ecuador. Quito: INEC; 2023 [acceso 03/09/2024]. Disponible en: https://www.censoecuador.gob.ec/

17. Gobierno Provincial de Tungurahua. Agenda Tungurahua 2019-2023. Ambato; 2021 [acceso 03/09/2024]. Disponible en: https://www.tungurahua.gob.ec/file/2020/07/Agenda_Tungurahua_2019-2023.pdf

18. Ministerio de Inclusión Económica y Social (MIES). Misión Mis Mejores Años. Quito: MIES; 2019 [acceso 03/09/2024]. Disponible en: https://servicios.inclusion.gob.ec/Lotaip_Mies/phocadownload/10_oct_2020/k_Planes_y_programas_en_ejecucion/PROYECTO_MIS_MEJORES_AÑOS.pdf

Published

2025-08-04

How to Cite

1.
Sandoval GF, Cevallos Teneda AC, González Aguilar V. Contemporary analysis of the relevance of the geriatric care degree program in Ambato, Ecuador. Rev Cubana Inv Bioméd [Internet]. 2025 Aug. 4 [cited 2025 Nov. 24];44. Available from: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/3443

Issue

Section

ARTÍCULOS DE REVISIÓN