Every three seconds, one patient with dementia appears in the world, writes Latvijas Avīze.
Concerned about the situation in Latvia but determined, specialists from various fields discussed at a conference how this disease could be diagnosed earlier, how to maintain the ability to function at home and in society for longer, and how to ease the daily lives of relatives.
The conference "People with Dementia. Accessibility, Solutions, Innovations. International Experience" addressed very relevant issues that many families are facing. According to Daina Podzīne, a national expert from the European Resource Center for Accessibility, both Latvian and European societies are aging, and new problems are arising that need to be addressed to help people who encounter them daily.
She is not surprised that reports of elderly people leaving home and not returning are becoming more frequent. Therefore, we all need to know what to do when encountering someone who has lost touch with reality, who no longer knows where they are or where they live.
Ombudsman Karina Palkova reminded that memory loss does not mean the loss of the right to life and respectful treatment. The maturity of a society can be judged by its readiness to understand and support those who are struggling, who are unable to care for themselves. Latvia is one of the few countries without a dementia prevention strategy, so targeted policy is necessary.
The situation regarding dementia in the country was outlined by Zita Jakobsone-Saulite, chairwoman of the Latvian Alzheimer’s Association, who stated that dementia is a collection of manifestations arising from Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.
Every three seconds, one patient with dementia appears in the world, and the costs associated with this disease are high - $1.3 trillion, and in the near future, the world will spend $2.8 trillion a year on treatment and care for these patients. Currently, there are 139 million dementia patients worldwide, compared to 55 million in 2019 - meaning this number has nearly tripled.
In Latvia, 4,100 patients are officially registered, but the organization "Alzheimer Europe" believes that our statistics are incorrect, and this number is actually 38,000. This means that 34,000 patients are unregistered, remain unnoticed, and, accordingly, the timely support and appropriate environment for them are at risk.
It is usually believed that dementia patients are in social care centers, requiring round-the-clock care seven days a week. It turns out this is not the case. Dementia can be divided into seven levels.
The Latvian Alzheimer’s Association plans to create a dementia resource center. A digital tool www.uzlaboatminu.lv will also be launched soon.
