MSA Students Visit Dar El Yasmeen Elderly Home for an Interprofessional Experience
As part of its commitment to connecting academic learning with real-world practice, the Interprofessional Education Unit at MSA organized a community visit to Dar El Yasmeen Elderly Home, bringing together students from the Faculties of Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Dentistry, and Nutrition and Food Technology, under the supervision of teaching staff from the four faculties.
The visit provided students with an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in a real community setting while working collaboratively to address the diverse healthcare needs of elderly residents.
During the visit, students interacted with the residents, took health histories, and explored individual needs related to medications, nutrition, mobility, joint pain, and oral health.
Pharmacy students focused on medication use, potential medication-related needs, and possible adverse effects. Physical Therapy students addressed mobility and functional limitations, supporting residents’ movement and physical independence.
Meanwhile, Dentistry students prepared to address dental complaints while observing appropriate infection prevention and control practices.
Nutrition and Food Technology students assessed the residents’ nutritional status to identify potential risks of malnutrition or muscle wasting. They also delivered food safety and food handling sessions for the kitchen staff, emphasizing proper hygiene and safe food-handling practices to help protect the residents’ health.
One of the most valuable aspects of the visit was seeing interprofessional education in action. The elderly residents warmly welcomed the students, while the students demonstrated empathy, professionalism, and a genuine willingness to learn from one another. By combining their areas of expertise, the teams worked toward individualized recommendations addressing the diverse needs of the residents.
The experience provided students with valuable real-life exposure and demonstrated how collaboration between healthcare disciplines can transform individual expertise into comprehensive, person-centered care.
Through initiatives such as this visit, the Interprofessional Education Unit at MSA continues to support collaborative learning across healthcare disciplines and prepare future healthcare professionals to deliver compassionate, coordinated, and patient-centered care.
