TRAINING OF GERIATRIC SPECIALISTS FOR BUILDING OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR WORK WITH ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

INTRODUCTION: The development and improvement of medical and social services for people with disabilities is one of the indicators for providing life quality to elderly people. Training of geriatric specialists is one of the ways to overcome the deficiency of professionals possessing specific knowledge and skills to take care of elderly and aged people, with or without disabilities. During their training, the students, majoring in Geriatric Care acquire professional competencies for work with elderly and aged people with or without disabilities (visual disabilities, hearing disabilities, etc). Formation of communication competence in students is an important part of the professiogram. The curriculum envisages diverse training methods, facilitating the formation of skills required for communication with patients, in conformity with their individual characteristics and system of values. AIM: The purpose of this survey is to present the training of geriatric specialists from the Medical College at Trakia University, Stara Zagora, with regards to the formation of communication skills necessary to work with elderly people with disabilities. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY: Examination and analysis of training documentation is done. RESULTS: The analysis of the training documentation shows that the training of the geriatric specialists at the Medical College of Trakia University, Stara Zagora is entirely conformed to the special, individual characteristics of elderly people with disabilities. The syllabus includes the elements, necessary to build professional competencies for communication with the mentioned target group within the frame of the approved curriculum.