Dr. Adedoyin Ogunyemi's visit

Delivering age-friendly health services (AFHS) involves healthcare practices and facilities to meet the unique needs and preferences of older adults. As the global population continues to age, it is essential to provide healthcare services that promote optimal health, well-being, and quality of life for older adults. This study aimed to determine the provider and facility readiness for AFHS at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Lagos, Nigeria. We developed and implemented surveys to collect PHC facility capacity and readiness to deliver AFHS and a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice survey for facility healthcare workers (HCW) based on guidelines from the World Health Organization age-friendly tool kit and questionnaires from other studies. The study found inadequate training on the care of older persons among the primary health care workers but a high level of interest and a positive attitude towards the need for aging services in PHCs. There were significant challenges in infrastructure, service delivery, and care oriented to the needs of older adults. By using the WHO’s guideline for age-friendly PHCs to assess facility and provider readiness, we have been able to demonstrate its usefulness in identifying gaps in the PHCs and to determine specific areas of focus for health systems in the provision of age-friendly services.