Municipality of Centar Sarajevo, led by Mayor Dzevad Becirovic, is one of the few communities that puts care for older persons among the highest priority activities. The local community provided funds for the Association “AiR” for the project aimed at diagnosing of dementia in its early stages, and enabling better conditions of life for people that are suffering from this disease.
For the project “Testing for dementia of people over 60 years of age, and their registration in the unified register of patients’, the Municipality Centar allocated a total of 3,500 BAM through a grant for non-profit organizations from the budget for 2016 to the association” AiR “, which is also the founder of the Center for dementia.
Association “AiR” is a non-governmental organization which helps people suffering from some type of dementia, and their families with the aim to raise awareness about dementia in the community.
To recall, the Municipality Centar allocated 5,000 BAM from the budget for 2015 to the association “AiR” for the project “Dementia in the family” with whose realization were tested users of Merhamet and the Red Cross, within which the association came to the alarming data.
They tested around 70 people, and 40 people different types of dementia, which represents 57 % of those tested. This fact caused immediate action of making strategies to combat dementia. There is no systematic assistance in terms of care for people with dementia nor any support to their caregivers-families. The reason is the lack of accurate records on the number of patients, which causes not having the special code and their drugs are not on the essential list, and they do not have social assistance in the form of material compensation for care or assistance by a third party.
The aim of this year’s project is to reach the number of patients; record their problems; unify the data in the records of patients in the FBiH. With the exact data we will be able to influence on the responsible authorities to take appropriate systemic measures to help the sick and their caregivers and the caregivers will get information where they can ask for help and advice.
Invitation for testing will be sent by mail, posters, flyers, public broadcasters, telephone etc. Testing and registration of people over 60 years will be held at the premises of the local community and in coordination with family doctors.
(Source: nap.ba)
