African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

World Alzheimer Report 2016

News Release

Dementia healthcare must adapt to tackle global dementia crisis

The report will be launched in London, and co-launched during the ADI African Regional Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria on World Alzheimer’s Day.

The full report is available at: www.alz.co.uk/worldreport2016

 

World Alzheimer Report 2016 calls for global transformation in healthcare for people with dementia

Most people with dementia have yet to receive a diagnosis, let alone treatment and care

  • Balancing tasks between primary and specialist care could increase capacity and reduce costs
  • Clear, evidence-based dementia care pathways should be established in all health systems, and monitored for progress towards universal coverage
  • Lack of research on the effectiveness of key components of dementia healthcare is striking, and should be considered an urgent priority

A new report from Alzheimer’s Disease International, authored by researchers at King’s College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), reveals that most people with dementia have yet to receive a diagnosis, let alone comprehensive and continuing healthcare.

The World Alzheimer Report 2016: Improving healthcare for people living with dementia, calls for concerted action to increase the coverage of healthcare for people with dementia worldwide.

Dementia affects 47 million people worldwide and this number will treble by 2050. Currently, only around half of those in high income countries, and one in ten or less in low and middle income countries have received a diagnosis. Expanding coverage of services for increasing numbers of people with dementia can only be achieved – and a crisis averted – by boosting capacity, and the efficiency with which care is delivered.

The report highlights that dementia care being provided mainly by specialist doctors is a key barrier to progress. Greater involvement of non-specialist primary care staff can unlock capacity to meet increasing demand for dementia care, and could make the cost of care per person up to 40% cheaper. Primary care services will need to be strengthened and supported to take on this role, through specialists providing guidance and support. Affordability of new treatments is critical to ensuring equity and social justice for the two-thirds of people with dementia living in low-resourced countries.

Clear ‘care pathways’ would define roles and responsibilities within the care system, and establish standards to be monitored and met. Care pathways, a structured and organised approach to the coordination, resourcing and delivery of continuing care, are now a common component of chronic disease care for other conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and cancer care. Case management supports coordination and integration of care, and can help ensure that services are both person-centred and efficient.

Increased coverage of comprehensive healthcare services is affordable, amounting to approximately 0.5% of total healthcare expenditure by 2030. However, political will is required to establish the necessary changes.

The report calls for a radical change in the way healthcare is delivered to people living with dementia, with a rebalancing toward non-specialist primary care, and planned and coordinated inputs from all levels of the health and social care sectors. It emphasises that care must be holistic, continuous and integrated, with a focus on quality of life for people living with dementia and their carers, and explicit monitoring of processes and outcomes.

More research is needed into; the cost-effectiveness of case management; the potential for unnecessary hospital admissions to be averted or abbreviated, and the outcomes of hospital admission to be improved; the benefits and harms of advanced care planning, and a palliative care approach; and trials to establish which elements of care can be safely transferred to non-specialist services.

Glenn Rees, Chair of ADI, said, “The goal of both improving rates of diagnosis and making the global health system more efficient was critically important to the report, including a clear recommendation that we monitor the outcomes of dementia care so that people with dementia and their care partners can be better informed about the quality of care available.”

Professor Martin Prince, lead author, from King’s College London, said: “This landmark report highlights the need to redesign and repurpose dementia care services for the challenges of the 21st Century. We have just 10-15 years to get this right, planning and implementing a realistic and robust platform for delivering dementia healthcare for all, in advance of any new and more effective treatments becoming available.”

The report is released ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day, the focal point of the global World Alzheimer’s Month campaign led by Alzheimer associations around the world to increase awareness of dementia. The report includes an analysis of existing care models in Canada, China, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Switzerland. A ‘Zero Draft’ Global Action Plan on Dementia is currently being developed by the World Health Organisation in response to advocacy by ADI and others to address the growing issue of dementia globally.

The World Alzheimer Report 2016 was researched and written by the Global Observatory for Ageing and Dementia Care at King’s College London in collaboration with the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE).

World Alzheimer`s Day Conference 2015 in Ghana.

WORLD ALZHEIMER`S DAY 2015

4th World Alzheimer`s Day Conference in Ghana and the 3rd Anniversary Celebration of Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Association of Ghana.
Alzheimer`s Ghana celebrated 4th World Alzheimer`s Day in Accra, Ghana and also used the same occasion to mark its 3rd Anniversary Celebration. Over 100 people were present including persons suffering from dementia and their families, Doctors, Nurses, researchers, clinicians, Government Officials, representatives from our partner NGOs e.g. WHO, Basic Needs Ghana, UNFPA and the Australian High Commission in Ghana, staff and volunteers of Alzheimer and Related Disorders of Ghana.
The theme of the Conference is “REMEMDER ME” which touched on encouraging people all around the world to learn to spot the signs of dementia, but also not to forget about loved ones who are living with dementia, or those who may have passed away.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month!

September is World Alzheimer’s Month!

September 2022 marked the 11th global World Alzheimer’s Month™, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge stigma.

Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Association of Ghana (Alzheimer’s Ghana) hosted

World Alzheimer`s Day Conference with the theme- ‘Know Alzheimers, Know Dementia’

Conference: Thursday, 22nd September 2022 10:30am –2pm
Venue: University of Ghana Medical Center Logon, Accra

The impact of September’s campaign is growing, but the stigmatization and misinformation that surrounds dementia remains a global problem.

Updates of the World Alzheimer`s Month Activities

Updates of the World Alzheimer`s Month Activities

Here is a short report on the activities during the just ended World Alzheimer`s Month.On the Tuesday the 2nd of September Alzheimer`s Ghana launched the Months celebration at the Nabita Nursing Training College in Tema.

  • Thursday the 4th of September, our team was hosted on Dementia Awareness and Education programme on Hot FM/Radio Station at Accra. The programme lasted for about 20mins and attracted over 15million listeners both in the cities and villages.
  • Wednesday the 10th of September, our team also organised Dementia Awareness and Education programme at Citi FM/Radio Station at Accra the and this programme attracted over 20million audience.
  • Sunday the 14th of September, our team undertook Dementia Awareness and Education programme and Research Questionnaires at Royal House Chapel at Afienya town in the Ningo Prampram District Assembly. About 100 congregations was educated.
  • Tuesday the 16th of September, our team again undertook Dementia Awareness and Education programme and Research Questionnaires at Royal House Chapel at Afienya town in the Ningo Prampram District Assembly.
  • Wednesday 17th of September, our team conducted Dementia Awareness and Research Questionnaires at the Morbole Local Community in the Ningo Prampram District of Ghana.
  • Friday the 19th of September, our team were at Ashaiman Senior High School for education on Dementia Awareness and Research Questionnaires. Over 200 students between the ages of 16-25yrs at Ashaiman in the Tema Metropolital Assembly participated in the activity.
  • Sunday the 21st of September, our team visited Afienya Roman Catholic Church and did a presentation on Dementia and World Alzheimer`s Day. Over 250 people participated.
  • Monday the 15th of September, our team did a presentation on Dementia and reducing its Risks at the Rotary Club, Accra. Over 50 people were present.
  • Thursday the 25th of September, our team visited the Minister for Health and Nungua Traditional Council to invite the Minister, the chiefs and elders to the conference.
  • Tuesday the 30th September between 6am – 7am, our team was hosted by Ghana Television Corporation (GTV) on Breakfast show. We used this occasion to educate the public of over 25million on the topic Dementia: Can we reduce the risk?

 

 

Tuesday 30th September between 10:30am – 1:30pm

Alzheimer`s Ghana climaxed the month`s programmes with a Conference involving Government officials, WHO representative, Traditional Leaders, Security personnel from Ghana Armed Forces, Health Professionals from Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Services, Nursing/Medical Students, other NGOs, representatives from various media groups and other stakeholders. Below is the programme line-up.

Theme- Dementia: Can we reduce the risk?

Conference: Tuesday, 30th September 2014   10.30am – 1.30pm
Venue: Christ The King Catholic Church Conference Hall

Aims

  • to highlight the plight of people with dementia and their families in Ghana’s ageing population
  • to look at how to reduce the risk of dementia in Ghana by involving stakeholders and the general public
  • to launch an appeal for support for the organisation and people affected

Chairman: Professor Joseph Bediako Asare, (Chairman, Mental Health Board)

King Odaifio Welentsi III, Chief of Nungua Traditional Area.


Conference Pictures

World Alzheimer’s Day

World Alzheimer’s Day

September 21st of each year, is a year, is a day on which Alzheimer ‘s  organizations around the world concentrate their efforts on raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia.

How Can World Alzheimer’s Day Help

Awareness about this degenerative and irreversible disorder is very important to understand and care for the patients affected with Alzheimer’s. The world Alzheimer’s Day focuses on getting more people know about the disease and why and how the patients could be managed though the disease itself cannot be cured.

The first people who should be educated on the symptoms and management of the disease are those who have someone suffering from it. In most of the cases the early Alzheimer’s symptoms are mistaken for age related forgetfulness and the disease is diagnosed only after it advances to a higher stage making it equally difficult for the patients and for the caregivers.

Being patient and knowing the symptoms and the extent to which the disease can progress will help in taking care of the patient and bearing with the pain of seeing their loved ones deteriorate into living log. The international Alzheimer’s  day tells the people that, they are not alone in their misery and someone next to them are facing the same or similar trauma; the talk show and the articles on the disease helps in educating the world to know more about the disease. The day also promotes the donation into the fund for Alzheimer’s research which may someday provide a breakthrough for the treatment and new findings in to key to unlock the disease.

Alzheimer`s Ghana joined Mrs Adih, President of the Board in Celebrating her Mum`s 80th Birthday

Alzheimer`s Ghana joined Mrs Adih, President of the Board in Celebrating her Mum`s 80th Birthday

Alzheimer`s Ghana joined Mrs Adih, President of the Board in Celebrating her Mum`s 80th Birthday on 17th May.

We used this occasion to interact with Nana Oye Lithur, Ministers for Gender Children and Social Protection and Mrs Qweenstar Pokuah Sawyerr, Deputy Minister for Central Region, who were present and also engaged some prominent men who were also present to support and donate towards Alzheimer`s Ghana activities.

TRAINING OF TRAINERS PROGRAMME

TRAINING OF TRAINERS PROGRAMME

Alzheimer`s Ghana in collaboration with Vision Allied Health Institute in Maryland, USA organised a (2) day training programme for Doctors, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Health Workers and Workers NGOs in the Health Sector on 13th-14th May 2014. The programme was a success. In pictures; (Demonstration of resuscitating a chocking dementia patient.)

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS

In line with our strategic action plan of creating Awareness and Advocacy, Alzheimer`s Ghana participated in a collaborative programme with the Ministry of Children Gender and Social Protection to sensitize people from age 55 and above on dementia. This followed an invitation from the Minister whose Ministry is also undertaking free biometric registration (NHIS card for old people aged 55 and above). Alzheimer`s Ghana awareness creation team delivered talks to the recipients on Dementia, causes, Signs and Symptoms, available Therapies and Care for people with Dementia. The team participated in the joint programme at Ashaiman on Saturday the 24th of May, Nungua on Saturday, 7th of June and Korle-Bu on Saturday the 14th of June 2014. Each programme covered about 500 old people from the various communities. Response had been positive as questions were asked about the disease and its implication on families. The volume of calls received daily on our 24hour helpline has so far increased putting pressure on our committed team of volunteers. The Minister was very excited but pointed out that the Government has a serious economic problem at the moment. She has however pledged her future financial support for Alzheimer`s Ghana.

 

Our next trip will be on Saturday 21st of June at Agona East in the Central Region where we have been invited by the Regional Minister to undertake the same educational programme on Dementia to about 500 elderly people. Here are some of the pictures.

AWARENESS TRIP TO ASHAIMAN IN THE GREATER ACCRA REGION ONTHE 24th MAY 2014

 

AWARENESS TRIP TO NUNGUA IN ACCRA IN THE GREATER ACCRA REGION ON THE 24th MAY 2014

TRIP TO KORLE-BU IN ACCRA ON THE 14TH JUNE 2014