engleski

Raising awareness on Alzheimer's dementia

It is estimated that we have more than 50, 000 people with dementia (PWD) in Croatia today and experts believe that by 2040 this number is going to quadruple. Since it was founded in 1999 in Zagreb, and subsequently a branch on Rab in 2003, the Alzheimer Disease Society Croatia (ADSC) has had monthly meetings for families of PWD and ali other interested persons. To date, the ADSC has published four booklets on Alzheimer's dementia (AD). Our Society has a 24-hour help line (091 569 16 60), website (www.alzheimer.hr) and e-mail address: alzheimer@alzheimer.hr. We have organ ized two conferences on AD (Zagreb) and three symposiums on psychogeriatrics (Rab). In 2006 (from September 7-10), the ADSC organized the 3rd Croatian Congress on Alzheimer’s Disease with international participation, at Brijuni, Croatia. The Congress proved its success by hosting 200 participants from ten countries. Members of the ADSC have on many occasions spoken to the media (TV, radio, newspapers) to raise awareness about dementia. Every year we celebrate the World Alzheimer's Day on September 21st and this year we organized an event in Zagreb's main square. On that occasion, we introduced an illustrated poster of ten early signs of AD. Our work is also interna­tionally recognized, and we became a member of Alzheimer's Disease In­ternational in 2005. Even though ADSC does not have its own office, it has done a lot in the field of raising awareness of AD, fighting the stigma and helping PWD, their families and carers through education and lobbing.

Alzheimer's disease; epidemiology; early signs; society

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