보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Dementia is curable and treatable when discovered early

 

-Ministry of Health and Welfare established and implemented “Act on Dementia Control,” a free dementia examination program for the strengthening of the control over early treatment of dementia (Feb. 2012) and created and is running the national committee on dementia control.

 

Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Rim, Chae Min) called for people to exercise the

instructions for dementia prevention and control and get treatments by discovering dementia at

an early phase through the examination while emphasizing the importance of prevention and

control of dementia in the light of the 40^th Health Day (7 Apr. 2012) and the Health Week (16~22

Apr. 2012).  

 

1. Do physical work-out regularly 2. Do brain exercise continuously 3. Maintain a healthy diet 4. When dementia is suspected, go to a community health center 5. When dementia is caught, begin to receive treatment soon and receive treatment and management steadily   ※ ‘Dementia’ : an acquired multifocal disorder that causes trouble to one’s daily life as it brings down one’s memory, ability to speak, make judgment and decisions resulting from regressive brain damage and cerebrovascular disease, etc

 

Due to the population aging, the number of dementia patients is increasing every year and it is

becoming a common disease among the elderly as one out of eleven senior citizens aged 65

and older has dementia..

 

< Pattern of the increase of the elderly with dementia and forecast >

(Unit: thousand persons)

 

The number of the elder aged 65 and older as of 2012 now is estimated to be 520 thousand

(those with relatively light symptoms take up 68%) and the medical treatment rate of dementia is

47.0% , indicating that more than a half of the elderly are not receiving treatment properly at

medical institutions.

 

‘Dementia’ makes it difficult for a patient to live a normal life, putting a great burden on his/her

family but if discovered and treated early, the pace of developing dementia gets slowed down.

Therefore, early treatment and control is important.

 

 

 

Mr. Park aged 65 was diagnosed with dementia in Alzheimer’s disease with early onset accompanied by depression in Aug. 2010 as he began suffering memory impairment (he often lost stuff, had hard time remembering what plants he planted in his garden and easily forgot about appointments he made) and change of character (he was easily angered and suffered demotivation) in late 2008.   From an early phase, he received cognition enhancement medication and anti-depressants and maintained his hobbies such as choir, vegetable gardening, etc and aerobic exercise such as light hiking regularly. Although there has been slight progress in cognitive decline over the past two years, overall symptoms remain at the lightest level. Depression and aggressive behavior have been completely healed and he maintains basic ability to do basic daily activities well. Given that the kind of Alzheimer’s disease that Mr. Park has progresses faster than senile Alzheimer’s disease, it shows that active medication and a healthy life style can effectively slow down progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ministry of Health and Welfare has been allowing anyone aged 60 and older to receive dementia examination (2.76 million from 2007 to 2011) at community health center through the “free of charge dementia examination program” from 2007.

 

○ Ministry also provides aids of 30 thousand won for treatment/management to patients (56,000 persons a year) diagnosed with dementia and registered at community health center so that they can take medicine and stay under control.

 

○ From this year, hospitals will be designated for dementia care (7 hospitals in 2012) and the cognitive rehabilitation program will be offered for patients with light dementia registered at community health center and senior citizens with memory problem for free of charge.

 

- In order to provide accurate knowledge on dementia treatment and prevention and improve negative view towards dementia, Ministry has reinforced early treatment management through a promotion program and a free-of-charge dementia examination program.

* Daegu-siji Geriatric Hospital, Incheon 1^st Municipal Geriatric Hospital, Daegu 1^st Municipal Geriatric Hospital, Chungbook Jecheon Municipal Cheongpoong-ho Senior Love Hospital, Jeonbook Jeonju Municipal Senior Welfare Hospital, Kyungbuk Kyungsan Provincial Senior Hospital and Kyeongnam Provincial Kimhae Geriatric Hospital.  

 

□ Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will seek practical measures to establish systemic and efficient infrastructure and reduce the burden on families of dementia patients as a legal framework for nation-wide dementia control has been prepared with the enactment and implementation of “Act on Dementia Control.” (Feb. 2012).

○ It will create and run the national dementia control committee for comprehensive operation of the national dementia program and specialized advice for it.

- It also added that by designating the central dementia center that will carry out the specialization of dementia treatment, training and statistical management, etc, a dementia management delivery structure by the central-, district-, and area-level linking dementia center bases (senior medical health center), dementia counseling center at community health center and base hospitals by four districts (Kangwon, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Kyungbuk) will be established.  

 

 

 

○ In addition, practical actions will be continuously sought to enhance social interest in dementia, improve negative recognition of dementia and reduce the burden placed upon families of dementia patients.

It also said that dementia-related information and government-funded programs will be found at national dementia knowledge and information portal (www.edementia.or.kr) (launched in Apr. 2011).