World Alzheimer Day Online Meeting was held by General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly with the participation of all relevant stakeholders on 21 September 2021.

At the World Alzheimer Day Online Meeting held by our General Directorate with the participation of all relevant stakeholders including state institutions and organizations, NGOs, and local administrations, subjects of Alzheimer under different topics such as diagnosis, treatment, follow-up of Alzheimer were discussed with a multidisciplinary approach.

Coşgun GÜRBOĞA, Deputy Director General of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, who gave the opening speech, emphasize that elderly population and correspondingly demetia/ Alzheimer illnesses increase in our country and in the world. GÜRBOĞA, who provided information on works at our General Directorate care services for the elderly and measures taken against pandemic at the nursing homes, stated that it is aimed to decrease dementia with preventive measures under active and healthy ageing perspective by General Directorate in cooperation with all stakeholders.

Topics of Alzheimer were Discussed with a Multidisciplinary Approach

After the opening speech, Spc. Dr. Banu EKİNCİ, General Directorate of Public Health, Head of Chronic Diseases and Elderly Health Department, talked about the services provided especially at the primary healthcare (such as family physicians) by providing statistical data on Alzheimer/dementia prevalence and causes of death of the elderly in our country on her presentation named “Health Policies Regarding Alzheimer”. She provided detailed information on how Alzheimer is approached at Ministry of Health.  

Prof. Dr. Başar BİLGİÇ, President of Turkish Alzheimer Association, on his presentation named “Activities of Alzheimer Association and Current Affairs Regarding Alzheimer in the World”, talked about the steps taken for Alzheimer especially in pharmacological and diagnosis matters and represented blood tests (biomarkers) for early diagnosis and medicines developed for treatment of Alzheimer after providing information on current centres and activities of Turkish Alzheimer Association.

Hon. Prof. Dr. Teslime ATLI, Board Chairman of Academic Geriatrics Association, on her presentation named “Alzheimer with Geriatrist Approach: From Prevention to Treatment” stated that services include several topics such as medicine control of persons with Alzheimer disease, providing psycho-social support, organizing their nourishment, ensuring physical mobility after talking about how geriatrics discipline approach Alzheimer and services provided with a multidisciplinary structure within the context of integrative geriatrics approach.

Prof. Dr. Phil. Habil. İsmail Tufan, Gerontology Department Head of Akdeniz University, stated that measures and precautions against Alzheimer should be developed and generalized by comparing the state of patients of Alzheimer and their relatives to the state of 20 years before and providing current examples during his speech named “Geratologic Approach to Alzheimer in Turkey and in the World and Care”

Dr. Gültekin Serdar TOLAY, Head of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Health Care Services and Persons with Disabilities, on his presentation named “Services for Patients of Alzheimer and Their Families from Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality” talked about the prospective projects of the Municipality by representing services for the elderly by Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality.

Yakup BUDAK, Director of Karaman Ahmet Mete Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Centre, during his speech named “Institutional Care for Alzheimer” talked about the problems administrative units and personnel experience at the nursing homes and made comparison between COVID-19 period and before it. During the speech in which he talked about the status of the elderly with Alzheimer at the nursing home where he works, he expressed the current status, problems and actions to be taken for care services by providing scientific and statistical data.

Care Services Specialized for Alzheimer will be Generalized

After the presentations, Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ, General Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, who gave closing speech, provided information on projects of our General Directorate for the elderly. He stated that applications and works are varified with Refreshment University Project, home care services, social services at home, day care services and works continue to increase the number of Centres Specialized for Alzheimer.

After the closing speeches Programme ended with wishes for continuation of works and collaboration.