The Care Program for the Elderly in Las Tunas reinforces its work to guarantee the necessary conditions for the 107,740 persons over 60 years of age, who represent 20.3 percent of a population whose life expectancy reaches 79 years.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Dr. Marisbelis González Rodríguez, head of the Section for the Elderly in the Directorate of Health, highlighted that 22 social institutions operate in the province. Among them are ten grandparents' homes with 430 capacities and nursing homes with 98.4 percent of their space occupied and 194 places for daytime admission.

In these facilities food service and medical and dental care is ensured; as well as carrying out various activities in agreement with the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (INDER) and Culture to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Memory consultation is implemented at the municipal level in the face of cognitive deterioration and Alzheimer- associated diseases, as well as immunization campaigns and links with the different environmental tasks.

On the other hand, the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), in coordination with the Health areas, set up schools for caregivers to teach good practices and intervention methods to those in charge of caring for older adults.

Aging in Cuba constitutes a demographic problem with 18.3% of its inhabitants aged 60 and over; it is expected that by 2025 it will represent 25% of the total population. By 2050, the proportion of the world's population over the age of 60 is projected to double, while the number of people in that age group is expected to rise from 605 million to two billion.