ADI News

National Alzheimer's Plan Released in USA

Michael.Lefevre — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:55:33 +0000

15 May 2012 - The US government has released a national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease, following the signing of the National Alzheimer's Project Act last year. The plan was developed with input from experts in aging and Alzheimer’s disease issues and calls for a comprehensive, collaborative approach across federal, state, private and non-profit organizations. More than 3,600 people or organizations submitted comments on the draft plan.

The goals set out in the plan are to:

Prevent and Effectively Treat Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025
Enhance Care Quality and Efficiency
Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Families
Enhance Public Awareness and Engagement
Improve Data to Track Progress

"This is a strong plan that promises important progress when implemented," said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "For all Americans — not just the more than 5 million living with Alzheimer's and their 15 million caregivers today — this plan is an historic achievement. The Association thanks our tireless advocates, the administration and Congress and for making today possible. We look forward to building on the momentum created by the National Alzheimer's Plan and working without pause to ensure it is implemented effectively."

View the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease at the US Department of Health & Human Services website.

The Alzheimer's Association has a dedicated website dedicated to the effective implementation of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) at napa.alz.org.

Alzheimer's Australia welcomes age care reform

Sarah.Smith — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:55:57 +0000

20 April 2012 - The Australian Federal Government announced today their plans for aged care reforms in an effort to tackle dementia. The reforms, which will be implemented from July, will focus on a number of issues, including timely diagnosis, support for people with younger onset dementia, and stengthening community care systems so people with dementia can remain in their own home longer. [Read more]

Presentations from ADI's 27th International Conference now available

Sarah.Smith — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:14:34 +0000

13 April 2012 - Presentations from the 27th International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International are now available online. These include the plenary, parallel and people with dementia sessions as well as the ADI workshops. [Read more]

New WHO report calls governments to action on dementia

Sarah.Smith — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

11 April 2012 - A report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) calls upon governments, policymakers and other stakeholders to make dementia a global public health priority. This new report provides the most authoritative overview of the impact of dementia worldwide. [Read more]

UK Prime Minister announces challenge on dementia

Sarah.Smith — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:50:01 +0000

29 March 2012 - UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced on Monday the launch of a Challenge on Dementia programme of work which will take place between now and 2015 to improve dementia care and research across the country.

The programme will include an increase of £66 million on research, health checks for people over 65 to identify any symptoms of dementia with referral if necessary, and diagnosis targets will be set for each part of the country by April 2013. The government have also committed to funding ongoing awareness campaigns and working alongside Alzheimer's Society and Dementia Action Alliance to create Dementia Friendly Communities within the UK.

Three Champion Groups will be formed and co-chaired by high profile figures with the aim of supporting the development of the programme by bringing together leaders from the health and social care fields as well as industry and broader society. Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society will co-chair one of these groups, which will report back to the Prime Minister in September 2012 and March 2013.

These advances come after five months of advocacy efforts from Alzheimer's Society who have been in frequent discussion with the Prime Minister's advisers and health department officials.

View the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia.

See the Prime Minister's speech announcing the changes to be made.

Scotland commits to post-diagnostic support

Sarah.Smith — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:37:17 +0000

28 March 2012 - Scotland's Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing & Cities has confirmed the Scottish Government’s guarantee of one year’s post-diagnostic support for people with dementia and their families. The guarantee means that everyone receiving a diagnosis of dementia in Scotland will have access to a year of support, from a named and trained individual, based on the Alzheimer Scotland Five-Pillar model. [Read more]

New report suggests UK unprepared for tackling dementia

Sarah.Smith — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:53:28 +0000

26 March 2012 - Three quarters of people in the UK feel that society is not geared up to deal with dementia according to a new report by Alzheimer’s Society. Dementia 2012: A national challenge reflects the negative impact this is having on people with dementia. The report found that three in five (61 per cent) people diagnosed with dementia are left feeling lonely and four in five (77 per cent) feel anxious or depressed. [Read more]

President Sarkozy receives ADI Award

Sarah.Smith — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:23:35 +0000

20 March 2012 - French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been presented with the ADI Award 2012 for his efforts to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers in France and across the European Union. Sarkozy’s groundbreaking National plan for Alzheimer and related diseases 2008-2012 has become an important example for many other countries around the world.

The Award was presented at ADI’s 27th International Conference in London, UK on 7 March 2012. Mme Marie-Anne Montchamp, Secretary of State to the Minister of Solidarity and Social Cohesion in France, accepted the award on behalf of President Sarkozy and delivered a personal message from the President.

President Sarkozy stated, ‘I attach so much importance to this Alzheimer’s Disease International Award 2012 because it comes from those who are the undisputed specialists in the subject, who are the authorities on this subject internationally, the leading experts and practitioners.’

He added, ‘If I insisted on making it a priority while I was in office, that was because I refused to accept the appalling situation victims are living in, nearly 800,000 in France and 35 million worldwide. I also refused to give into the tiredness, sometimes exhaustion and, too often, even the despair of the families touched by this tragedy, affecting their husbands and wives, their mothers and fathers, their uncles and aunts.’

The French Alzheimer’s Plan has resulted in the expansion of scientific knowledge about Alzheimer's, the addition of more than 600 practitioners trained in clinical epidemiology and more than 100 fundamental research projects have been launched. The addition of 65 new memory clinics have focussed on early detection and an effort is underway to add more than 500 new diagnostic centres throughout the country.

There has been an increase in the number of respite care facilities to help carers of people with Alzheimer’s and health and social care service sectors work more collaboratively at the local level for more efficient and effective services for people with dementia and their families.

The ADI Award is presented to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution towards increasing awareness of dementia and encouraging policy initiatives and improvements in the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers. The first ADI Award was presented to ADI founder, Jerome Stone, in 2006.

Read the French National plan for Alzheimer and related diseases 2008-2012.

4th Alzheimer's Award winners announced

Sarah.Smith — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:41:54 +0000

19 March 2012 - The winners of the fourth Fondation Médéric Alzheimer and Alzheimer's Disease International Alzheimer's Award for psychosocial interventions have been announced. Two prizes were awarded, the first for the best evidence-based intervention with a prize of €18,000 and the second, worth €7,000, for the most promising intervention.

Prof Lynn Chenoweth from Australia was awarded the prize for best evidence-based psychosocial intervention for her project, PerCEN : Person-centred environment and care for residents with dementia: a cost effective way of improving quality of life and quality of care?

The award for most promising award was presented to Dr Radha S Murthy from India for her intervention, The effect of culture based comprehensive psychosocial care program on outcomes in residential patients with dementia-An Indigenous Model.

Prof Chenoweth and Dr Murthy were presented with their awards during the 27th International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International in London, UK in March 2012.

Find out more about the Alzheimer's Award.

Dementia is a global health timebomb – global health expert Professor Peter Piot

Sarah.Smith — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:47:55 +0000

7 March 2012 - Global health expert Professor Peter Piot will announce dementia is one of the largest global health challenges and call for the condition to become a top world health priority at an international conference in London today.

Professor Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and former Executive Director of UNAIDS, will take to the world stage at the opening ceremony of the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) conference. He will challenge the World Health Organisation to declare dementia a health priority alongside cancer, diabetes, lung disease and heart disease. He will also call for a UN General Assembly special session on mental health and dementia, and ask world leaders to sign up to an action plan to transform millions of lives.

Professor Piot said:

‘Dementia is one of the largest neglected global health challenges of our generation, with 36 million people living with the condition today. By 2050 115 million people – almost twice the current population of the UK - will be living with dementia worldwide. What we must learn from the AIDS movement is that by investing now, we will save later. Having a global action plan to defeat dementia is the first step to making a difference to millions of people.’
The action plan proposed by ADI will call on leaders of the world’s nations to commit to the following:

1. Invest in research and coordinate research efforts with other countries
2. Educate the public and health practitioners to ensure they recognise the signs of dementia. Provide information, support and access to treatment to ensure people can live well with dementia
3. Record diagnosis rates in their own countries to create an accurate picture of dementia
4. Conduct coordinated studies on the economic and social impact of dementia
5. Develop and share health strategies to help people reduce their risk of developing dementia.

Under Professor Piot’s leadership of UNAIDS, the organisation put AIDS on the global agenda, mobilised resources, and helped provide prevention and treatment for HIV infection worldwide.

Marc Wortmann, Executive Director at Alzheimer’s Disease International said:

'Dementia is already a pressing challenge across the world, and one that the world can no longer ignore. As the global population ages, the problem will only get bigger. What's more, over half of people with dementia live in lower and middle-income countries where there is no money to support them. Governments are not prepared to deal with this spiralling problem and they must all take action today.'

There are over 36 million people living with dementia across the world. This number is set to double every 20 years. As the brain slowly shuts down, people with dementia struggle with everyday tasks including washing, eating and going to the toilet. The global economic cost of dementia is $604 billion dollars, which makes it the equivalent of the world’s 18th largest economy.

Author Sir Terry Pratchett will also speak at the opening ceremony of the ADI conference, which will be held at London’s Excel Centre from Wednesday 07 March to Saturday 10 March. Record numbers of people with dementia will attend, alongside politicians, celebrities and scientists. The conference will feature presentations by leading scientists on groundbreaking research, and workshops led by people with dementia. For more information, visit www.adi2012.org.