On World’s Alzheimer’s Day, Qatar’s Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has collaborated with Oman Alzheimer’s Society to host an educational webinar for families and caregivers dealing with patients who suffer from dementia.
Just a click away, the webinar was arranged virtually to ensure the safety of all participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carers living in Oman and in Qatar were able to connect and listen to healthcare professionals’ advice on how to provide better care for dementia patients and how to raise awareness of the disease.
“Additional participation and support came from caregivers in each country who shared information about caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. For the first time ever in Qatar, an elderly man shared his personal experience of living with Alzheimer’s disease,” said HMC in a statement.
Also supported by the Doha Chapter of Alzheimer’s Indonesia, the virtual webinar enabled people to exchange experiences and knowledge from the comfort of their homes, and connected two countries together to discuss the important topic.
The event was jointly hosted by Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad, Qatar’s National Lead for Healthy Ageing and a Snr Consultant Geriatrician and Medical Director Rumailah Hospital, and Dr. Hamed Al Sinawi, Snr Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist and Chairman of the Oman Alzheimer’s Society.
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s.
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The move comes on World Alzheimer’s Day, which takes place every 21st of September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. This year, the international campaign, launched in 2012, will mark its 9th year since initiation.
Qatar has a National Dementia Plan 2018-2022, in which it commissioned, and continues to develop important projects designed to help the country move to a more elderly appropriate model of care.
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