O médico especialista em Medicina Preventiva e Social como coordenador do cuidado à pessoa idosa no Sistema Único de Saúde: gestão, integração da rede e sustentabilidade

Abstract

The accelerated aging of the Brazilian population challenges the Unified Health System (SUS) to reorganize its services in response to the increase in chronic conditions, functional dependence and demand for long-term care. This article aims to analyze the role of the preventive and social medicine specialist as manager and coordinator of care for older adults within SUS, with emphasis on the articulation between Primary Health Care (PHC), long-term care facilities, day-care centers and home care services. This is a descriptive bibliographic review based on SUS regulatory documents, institutional publications and scientific literature on health care networks and aging. The analysis indicates that this specialist's work transcends individual care, focusing on situational health analysis, coordination of intersectoral actions, management of functional capacity and leadership of multiprofessional teams. Risk- and need-based resource allocation is also discussed as a strategy to improve service delivery and ensure system sustainability. It is concluded that the consolidation of a resolutive health system for the older population requires the public health physician and manager to integrate the different levels of care, avoid fragmentation of care flows and face the contemporary challenges of aging, guaranteeing the constitutional right to health in a full and qualified manner.