The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement on Sunday that it has organised a series of activities this month to mark World Alzheimer’s Month and raise residents’ awareness of the importance of early detection, diagnosis and treatment of dementia.
The initiative follows this year’s theme, “The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do: A Dementia Diagnosis Matters”, designated by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) for World Alzheimer’s Month, which takes place every September, the statement said.
According to ADI, yesterday marked the World Alzheimer’s Day.
The bureau’s Dementia Medical Centre and Senior Health Support Hotline (長者健康支援熱線) have jointly organised the “Let’s Get Moving to Start a Happy Later Life” activity for elderly people, people with dementia and their families, the statement said, adding that the activity aims to maintain community participation among patients and promote their physical and mental wellbeing.
The bureau has also produced promotional materials to improve residents’ understanding of the early symptoms of dementia, the statement noted, adding that dementia is a common chronic condition among elderly people that affects not only patients but also families and society.
The bureau pointed out that 209 organisations have joined the “Dementia-Friendly Alliance” (失智症友善大聯盟). The Health Bureau, Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) and Macau Alzheimer’s Disease Association (MADA) have also held recruitment sessions for leisure businesses, banking sector, social service organisations and medical groups, the statement said.
Meanwhile, 120 “Dementia-Friendly Citizen” ambassadors have been trained to promote information about dementia and encourage community support for patients, families and caregivers, the statement underlined.
According to the statement, the Health Bureau provides cognitive function assessments to more than 3,000 people annually, with about 650 new cases subsequently referred to the Dementia Medical Centre’s memory clinic. The average waiting time for new cases is less than four weeks, the statement said, adding that residents who notice suspected symptoms in themselves or others are advised to arrange a cognitive assessment through their local health centre.
This infographic provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) on Sunday shows the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The translation from Chinese was arranged by the Post.
