Greek Action Plan for Dementia and Alzheimer’s presented by Health Min at cabinet meeting

The Greek Action Plan for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease was presented by Health Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

The plan serves as “a ‘road map’ with a specific, consistent, and systematic action plan for the 2023-2028 period, which mainly aims at turning Greece into a model country, friendly to sufferers from dementia and related disorders and to their caretakers, that invests significantly in research and care for management and therapy,” a Health Ministry statement said.

At the cabinet meeting, Chrysochoidis said the Greek Action Plan for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease has seven parts:

1. Registration and classification of individuals with dementia in Greece

2. Prevention – Public information and awareness

3. Support for caretakers of people with dementia

4. Management of dementia

5. Legislation – Rights of people with dementia and of their caretakers

6. Research for dementia

7. Training in dementia

Greece will be significantly affected in terms of the rates of dementia and related disorders, as it has a particularly aged population, the ministry said in its statement. Soon, one-fourth of all Greeks will be over 60 years of age, while over 450,000 people already suffer from dementia and related disorders. Every affected person needs to be cared for by 2 or 3 family members long term (5-15 years), which means that over 10% of all Greeks either suffer from dementia and related disorders or are caring for such individuals on a daily basis.

The proposed plan includes the founding of a National Council for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease at the Health Ministry. The Council would include officials from the ministries of Health, Social Cohesion & Family, Labor & Social Insurance, and National Economy & Finance, and would be responsible for observing the implementation of the Plan.

As Health Minister Chrysochoidis said, the action plan “proves that we are progressing in the understanding and treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and we can now provide effective care to sufferers and their families.” At the same time, he said, the plan “recognizes and defines the rights of people who suffer from dementia, while the role of informal caretakers of patients is recognized. At the same time, we introduce in Greek legislation the so-called power of attorney for treatment and care.”

“Prevention is feasible, and we can achieve it,” Chrysochoidis underlined.

SOURCE; ANA-MPA