By Anthony Thanasayan

INTERNATIONAL Day of Older Persons was observed last Thursday. A recent report suggested that more people are living longer these days, hence the chances of people getting dementia have increased.

This, according to experts on ageing in Britain, means that the burden of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia has been underestimated.

The report from King's College London, featured on BBC Online, indicates that more than 115 million people across the globe will suffer from dementia by the year 2050.

What's of concern is that this prediction is 10% more than figures published in 2005, driven mainly by new figures from South Asia and Latin America.

The UK Alzheimer's Society says the data shows the "scale of the challenge". According to the BBC, the rise in dementia, fuelled by increasing life expectancy in countries around the world, is causing widespread concern.

The strain of caring for people with dementia is a social and economic issue, placing a growing burden on the working population and health system.

The King's College London research is part of the 2009 World Alzheimer's Report. It was published by the Alzheimer's Disease International which estimates that there will be 35 million people worldwide with dementia by next year.

That number is set to almost double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050.

The BBC goes on to say that advances in healthcare and nutrition will have the biggest impact in poorer countries and, as a result, the number of older people is set to increase rapidly.

Alzheimer's Disease International stressed that countries around the world should follow in the footsteps of Australia, France, South Korea and Britain, and develop action plans to tackle the impact of the disease.

Meanwhile, Professor Philip Poi, Head of Geriatric Medicine from Universiti Malaya, explained dementia in our local setting.

"Dementia has many forms. They all involve the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain that affect memory and mental function and eventually impede the person's ability for self-care or to function independently in the community," says Prof Poi.

He points out that dementia can severely limit a person's ability to recall events or to dress, clean and feed himself. The ability to have a proper conversation may also be affected along with driving skills and decision-making.

"Dementia is still unfamiliar to the ordinary Malaysian as many sufferers appear normal until the condition becomes severe," says Prof Poi. "Alzheimer"s is the commonest form of dementia, afflicting about one in every five elderly Malaysians over the age of 80.

Prof Poi says that awareness is the key to helping people with dementia.

The Government's campaign for a healthy lifestyle such as controlling the contributing factors of diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure will help prevent some people from developing dementia. "Detecting and diagnosing the condition - as well as providing support services for those with dementia - have to be developed in tandem," says Prof Poi.

Dr Poi outlines some of the measures:
> Medical identification bracelets for all dementia patients to ensure appropriate help when they are lost or confused.
> Access to home healthcare with trained part-time or full-time companions or domestic helpers.
> National support service with trained caregivers. Currently such resources are limited and may only be found in larger towns.
> Assisted-living accommodation - with trained staff - for persons with dementia.
> All nursing homes should have nursing aides who have had basic training in handling different levels of dementia.

"People with dementia need clear signages to help them find their way around, So shopping malls should provide clear meeting points to help the memory-impaired. All of us should strive to help people with dementia by being patient with them and giving them loving care. This requires a paradigm shift in how we view this disabling condition," adds Prof Poi.