Approximately 7,000 people are living with dementia on the Maltese islands – Malta Dementia Society

Yesterday the Malta Dementia Society held its annual Walk for Dementia in Valletta. The event was attended by Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Anthony Agius Decelis. The Malta Dementia Society is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation for people with dementia, their carers, families and anyone affected by dementia. The Society also brings together healthcare professionals and anyone interested in increasing the knowledge of dementia and its care. The Malta Independent on Sunday spoke to the Society’s Anne Cuschieri.

On a local scale, how many people have dementia and what is being done to ensure that they are being taken care of?

Currently, there are approximately 7,000 people living with dementia in the Maltese Islands. This figure is expected to reach 13,000 by the year 2050 – equivalent to 3.5 per cent of the population. A number of services are available including a Dementia Helpline (telephone number: 1771) which is open 24/7, a number of Memory Clinics that help in diagnosing dementia, a Dementia Intervention Team which is comprised of multi-disciplinary professionals who visit individuals with dementia still living in the community, long-term care beds dedicated to these individuals in a number of nursing homes, respite, information booklets (available free from the office of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing), a 10-week training programme for care-givers at St Vincent de Paul Long-term Care Facility and a number of Dementia day-care centres in both Malta and Gozo.

What is the Malta Dementia Society and what does the group stand for?

The Malta Dementia Society was established in September 2004 on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day. It is now affiliated to Alzheimer’s Disease International, the umbrella organisation of Alzheimer associations around the world, and to Alzheimer Europe, the organisation that interfaces European Alzheimer associations with a European structure. The society aims to promote the best methods of care, education and treatment of people with dementia and related disorders throughout the Maltese Islands and elsewhere. As a society, we organise courses, lectures and conferences in the various areas concerned with dementia and we encourage the training of personnel to provide services for those with dementia.

The annual Walk for Dementia was held yesterday, 28th September. Was this day chosen for a particular reason and what is the purpose of the walk?

The walk marks World Alzheimer’s month, which is celebrated around the World. It is an occasion aimed at increasing awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and commemorates the work that the care-givers of these individuals do on a daily basis. We have a stand so that people can come and ask any questions they may have and also to hand out useful information about the condition. We also want people to know that the Malta Dementia Society is there for them to give support and help in any way they may need. Awareness and the understanding of dementia – and how it is affecting our society – are key.

September is World Alzheimer’s month. What does the Malta Dementia Society want to highlight about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?

The theme of this year was changing perception and overcoming the stigma of dementia. Unfortunately, in many countries, negative attitudes towards dementia and stigma are still a major barrier to people wanting information, help, advice, support or even a diagnosis, and prevent or delay people from putting plans in place, progressing to a stage of acceptance and being able to adjust to living with dementia. The more educational campaigns we have and the more activities that raise awareness, the more likely we are to eradicate the stigma towards these individuals.

What stigma surrounds dementia and what can be done to tackle the challenges?

When my mother developed dementia, there was a great stigma at the time: no one talked about dementia, let alone was told that their relative had dementia. We decided to start breaking that stigma by talking to people about it, beginning with the neighbours who, in turn, would let us know if they saw my mother outside on her own.

The Malta Dementia Society was established some time later and we joined immediately to let people know that it was okay to talk about the condition and that no-one should feel ashamed in any way.

Today, we talk about it on television and radio programmes and in public and once you start talking, others begin to open up and share their stories. We all learn from each other and a problem shared is a problem halved, as the English say. This is very true. The Malta Dementia Society organises a number of talks for the public to inform them about the condition, how to tackle it and what to expect. In this way, you are always one step ahead and in as much control as possible.