About the Programme　　 Programme Features　　 Overview of Ageing Population　　 Overview of Dementia　　

According to the statistics released by “Alzheimer's Disease International” in 2010, there are about 35 million people suffering from dementia worldwide, and it is predicated that the number of sufferers will increase to 65 million by 2030. It is also found that among the sufferers, the elderly is in the majority.

Researches of Macao indicate that about 24% of elders at home suffer from varying degrees of cognitive impairment, and 8.6% of these elders display early symptoms of dementia. Moreover, some informal statistics show that, 30% to 50% of institutional elders suffer from cognitive impairment, and quite a number of them have been diagnosed with dementia.

The lack of statistics of dementia diagnosis, insufficient understanding, education and corresponding services for the disease are the most difficult challenges that Macao is currently facing. To overcome these challenges, we have to carefully estimate the expenses that dementia may incur to society, and evaluate the negative impact that it may create to family and society.