The Indian model in Alzheimer’s disease care has attracted attention and is going on to become a model to be followed by other countries.
A three-member delegation from Dubai was here recently to learn from the Indian experience of care-giving for Alzheimer’s patients.
The disease affects the memory of the patient and caring for the person becomes an emotional trauma for the family. The disease is more prevalent among the ageing population.
The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), over the last 20 years, has created a model for many others to follow. Learning from the ARDSI model, the Dubai health authority under the Dubai government has evinced interest in implementing programmes for the care of elderly.
“We have only begun the programme last year”, said Salwa Abdulla Alsuwaidi, director and specialist senior registrar (Geriatrics). “We have a very limited programme in geriatric care, but we want to expand it on a model that suits our culture,” she said. “Families take care of the elderly like in India whereas elderly care in the West is institutionalised,” she added. A support group for Alzheimer’s disease has been formed and through this group the government plans to educate people on how to handle patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
According to Dr. Alsuwaidi, the caregiver training programme being run by the ARDSI could be replicated in Dubai. The programme devised by the ARDSI equips caregivers with skills to handle patients.
Though the elderly in Dubai make only about 5 per cent of the population, the demographics indicate a rise in the population of the elderly to 19 per cent by 2050. Life expectancy has gone up to 77 years for females and 74 years to males. The Dubai government was proactive in learning about the needs of the future, she said.
The ARDSI was doing a lot of community research from which lessons could be learnt, said Mohammed Elnoamani, head of the medical department, Dubai Community Centre for the Elderly.
Jacob K. Roy, chairman of the Alzhiemer’s Disease International (ADI), told The Hindu that the exchange between the two countries was an initiative of the ADI and the initiative was bringing several countries together.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Shyama Rajagopal / Kochi – May 31st, 2014