ICML 9

9º Congresso Mundial de Informação em Saúde e Bibliotecas

Salvador, Bahia - Brasil, 20 a 23 de setembro de 2005

BVS4

4ª Reunião de Coordenação Regional da BVS

19 e 20 de setembro de 2005

P146 - Information about the old population group

The purpose of this paper is to contribute for a study to include new terms for the controlled vocabulary for older population. The basis of this proposition is the difference between two areas: Geriatrics ( the branch of medical science that deals with diseases and problems specific to old people) and Gerontology (the branch of science that deals with problems specific to old people, as for example: biological, historical, economic, ethnic and social.).. The expanding of the elderly population is a world phenomenon. Twenty years ago the elderly population was concentred in some regions, however nowadays all over the world this group is expanding. This old population requires specialized services and awareness. Consequently, society should be prepared for the expanding aging population. Nowadays there are new demands for health care services and awareness. Now we have new professionals dedicate themselves for the older populations. There are also new studies, important research and bibliography. This present day health care professional teams dedicate themselves to the older population. This area is named Gerontology studies. The information compiled by researchers about the older population groups is nowadays available for those interested in this field. Consequently the professionals, who organise this information, should take care in processing and researching it. Several years ago the medical clinics were for the older population, but at this current time there are medical and gerontology clinics. The development of the bibliography about elderly population requires precise terms. The researchers demand an exact response for their purpose, so that the work tools should be suitable. It is relevant to include in the Thesaurus these new terms, should be consolidate in the new literature. It’s important to pay attention in the researches demand. This study shows that some descriptions are used for different aged social groups, except for the elderly population. The librarians purpose in the institutions, dedicat ed to older population studies, is to provide the researchers correct retrieval information about the elder population. The institutions that use the vocabulary tools face some difficulties providing correct information about the older population, besides the Geriatry area.