The National Alzheimer’s and Memory Services Helpline has been launched, in a new initiative to improve the care given to the elderly in the country.
The helpline service will provide information about Alzheimer’s and related dementias and memory loss while giving support to help people manage the impact of the condition at the same time.
The helpline has been launched under the guidance and leadership of Dr Hanadi Khamis Al Hamad, National Lead for the Healthy Aging and Focal Lead for Global Dementia Observatory of WHO.
This is an important milestone in the country since the launch of Qatar National Dementia Plan (QNDP) in 2018. QNDP is a national initiative under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and is jointly led by multiple stakeholders including Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
The National Alzheimer’s and Memory Services helpline is named ‘Raha’ which means ‘comfort’ in Arabic. “This helpline provides confidential service to people above the age of 60 years, who have concerns about their memory and also to the families or carers who have concerns about their dear ones experiencing memory problems,” Dr Pravija Manikoth, Consultant, Geriatric Psychiatrist at HMC’s Rumailah Hospital, told The Peninsula. “Our main aim is to provide support to people with dementia and their families and carers. We want to reassure them that they are not alone in this journey. Dementia can affect all aspects of an individual’s life, and having the support is the cornerstone in dementia care” she said.
Dr Manikoth said the helpline also has the objective of promoting public awareness of dementia and related issues.
“A multidisciplinary team including geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, psychologist and specialised nurses with multi-lingual skills are assigned to support callers of this helpline. They will listen to the caller and direct them to appropriate services or provide guidance to help them overcome any challenges they might face related to this condition,” she said.
This helpline (40262222) service is available between 8am and 3pm from Sunday to Thursday.
Alzheimer’s and related dementias are a set of symptoms that may include disturbance in memory, thinking, orientation, ability to comprehend information and can also affect a person’s language and judgement. Additionally, there can be changes seen in the behaviour of the individual. These symptoms become severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.
According to the UN, around 50 million people have dementia in the world. In Qatar, more than 4,400 people over 60 years of age may have dementia.
This figure is expected to rise tenfold to more than 41,000 people by 2050 if no cure or improved prevention takes place. Qatar is the first Arab country to have a National Dementia Plan and the implementation of this initiative reinforces Qatar’s commitment in Dementia Care.
