Almost 4,000 new Alzheimer’s cases this year
More women are affected than men – regional government 'prepares the system for ageing population’
A TOTAL of 3,981 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease were diagnosed in the Valencia region this year up to August 31.
The data was revealed by the regional health department to coincide with World Alzheimer’s Day (September 21).
It said 1,410 were men and 2,571 women, and their average age was 81. Currently 37,377 people in the region suffer from this neurodegenerative illness which affects memory and behaviour, of whom almost 70% are women (25,699).
It not only affects their decision making ability but also has a heavy emotional impact on their families.
During 2018, there were 8,061 hospital admissions related to the illness, whose average age was 83.3 and they stayed an average of 6.5 days in normal hospitals or 33.5 days if they were admitted to HACLE hospitals specifically for chronic patients.
Regional health councillor Ana Barceló praised the work of medical professionals who treat these people.
She said an updated online training course about dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in primary attention is being released during the last quarter of this year. The first edition in 2018 was completed by 72 professionals.
She said the priorities for this legislature are to prepare the system for an ageing population, extended chronicity and new illnesses appearing. Plans to improve attention include updating regional strategies for Alzheimer’s and mental health, and promoting exercise for older people.
Sra Barceló added that a special SIP healthcare card is available for patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, which entitles their carer to attend medical appointments with them, minimises waiting times between arrival at a medical centre and being seen, and gives them preferential inclusion in a programme to administer medication at home.
As Costa Blanca News went to press, the regional government announced it will be investing €87 million in programmes to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s.
These include grants for local associations - 50 of which are sharing over €1.5 million this year - maintaining the 34 CEAM (specialised senior citizens’ attention) centres, and over 27,000 residential places and 5,000 places in day centres, approximately 39% of which are occupied by patients with some kind of dementia.