More knowledge on dementia helps patients to live with dignity

13 Mar 2010

Understanding dementia can help dispel myths and stigma towards the disease, and enable dementia patients and their family members to live with fulfillment and dignity.

Assistant Director of Health (Family and Elderly Health Services), Dr Chan Wai-man, said with the ageing of the population, the prevalence of dementia among Hong Kong community is expected to increase. Estimations by the Census and Statistics Department revealed that the elderly population in Hong Kong will jump from 900,000 currently to nearly 2 million in 20 years.

Dr Chan said, "Knowing more about the symptoms, treatment and community resources available for dementia not only enables early diagnosis and treatment, but also helps support the patients and carers."

Dementia is a progressive disease of the brain. There is decline in cognitive and intellectual function such as memory, comprehension, learning capacity, the ability to think and calculate, as well as language and judgment. Patients gradually deteriorate with impaired functioning in daily activities, some also with emotional and behavioural problems.

According to a survey jointly conducted by the Department of Health (DH) and the Chinese Dementia Research Association on the public's attitude toward dementia care and research, the general public lack knowledge and also have misunderstanding about this condition.

The survey revealed that among the 760 people interviewed, over 15 per cent would feel being looked down upon if a family member had dementia. Nearly 40 per cent of interviewees thought demented patients should live in elderly homes while some of them would avoid contact with such patients and opined that an increase of care services for them would be wasteful.

Moreover, the study also found that many members of the public did not know that demented patients, apart from memory loss and decreased cognitive ability, would suffer from other mood, psychological and behavioural problems. Neither did they know how to handle such symptoms.

Dr Chan encourages family members to be aware of community support services for dementia care, e.g. day care centres, and to acquire skills in handling the emotional and behavioural problems, so as to minimise conflict and dispute with the demented elders.

She said, "Psychological adjustment enables family members to manage stress better, improve their own mental health, which in turn would improve the quality of care for the demented."

"Caring for a demented patient is challenging, but there are also positive aspects, such as bringing a family closer and enhancing intimacy."

She said that DH has been using various channels and producing health education materials comprising book, pamphlets and VCDs to raise community awareness and knowledge about dementia.

Visiting health teams of Elderly Health Service regularly deliver health education and training programmes on dementia care to elders and carers to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Through more local research findings, DH can provide more tailored health messages to the public to enhance their knowledge for this condition.

She said, "Acceptance and communication, helping patients to live with safety and dignity are all crucial to enable their last journey in life to be fulfilling, with no regret to their families."