World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September 2021 brought with it the eye-opening news that there are 90,000 Dominicans who suffer from the neurodegenerative disease. Having a relative who is losing memory and cognitive abilities is becoming more common.
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, degenerative brain condition that gradually affects memory and thinking skills and the ability to do even the most basic tasks and ability to move.
For the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day, the Mental Health Department of the Ministry of Public together with the Dominican Alzheimer’s Association participated in a talk on the disease to raise awareness among the entire population.
The Department of Mental Health of the Ministry of Public Health reports that at least 8% of the population over 60 years of age in the country lives with dementia, equivalent to some 90,000 cases. According to data provided by the Department of Mental Health, in the past 50 years the number of people over 65 years of age suffering from the disease has increased from 3% to 6%, evidencing a trend towards an increasingly aging population.
Alzheimer’s is also very costly to treat, explained geriatrician and medical advisor of the Dominican Alzheimer’s Society, Dagoberto Güílamo, as reported in Diario Libre. He said one has to add to the direct cost of the treatment of the disease, the cost of abandonment of the work of the caregiver, the payment to the caregiver and all the complementary extras and adjustments that have to be made in the home, said Dr. Güílamo on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day.
Dr. Alejandro Uribe, director of the Mental Health Department, said that Alzheimer’s has no cure. The specialists explained that knowing the warning signs of dementia allows people to seek more information before the acute symptoms appear.
The president of the Dominican Alzheimer’s Association, Dr. José Modesto, said that the organization is committed to disseminating knowledge on Alzheimer’s and supporting and providing guidance to the families of patients. The association helps with face-to-face talks and provides training for caregivers, among other actions.
Dr. Daisy Acosta, a psychiatrist specializing in dementia, said that memory loss is a sign of aging but could also be a sign that something is wrong. People should check for personality changes and irritability. When people hide things and cannot find them, studies should be carried out.
While Leonor Rivas, daughter of a mother with Alzheimer’s, said: “It is a life experience with a lot of responsibility, love, sacrifice and family solidarity. It can unite or separate the family.”
On occasion of the World Alzheimer’s Day, doctors Marcia Castillo, and Ivett Joga and Jocelyn Duran launched their practical guide for Alzheimer’s caretakers in an event held at the Academy of Sciences.
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22 September 2021