Psychosocial support for older adults in their community

Abstract

The intern carried out her practicum at Baissour Social Development Center, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) for two months (200 hours). The role of MOSA in Lebanon is to provide social protection and assistance through the head office in Beirut or through the social development centers distributed across the districts. The intern had the opportunity to connect what was taught in class to what is applied in the field. The objective of the internship is to get exposed to the field of public health before graduating with a Master’s Degree in Public Health (Community Health Track). During the practicum, the intern had different tasks related to providing psychosocial support for older adults, that helped her enhance her skills and build on her experience. She participated in the elderly component of the Qudra2 project being implemented and was exposed to the field. The internship helped the intern gain knowledge about the topic of the elderly in Lebanon and worldwide from the literature review she had done and the experience she had. It was very beneficial for the intern, and she succeeded in applying her knowledge in the field. The results of the activities showed an improvement in the mental state of older adults who participated. The elderly reported a higher level of confidence in their abilities to apply the concepts learned during the project. However, the practicum was not without challenges, which were addressed through several recommendations.