Minister of Health Monitoring, Gürçağ Altuğra, came together with Alzheimer’s patients and their relatives to listen to their problems and demands on September 21, World Alzheimer’s Day.
During the meeting, which took place at the Center for the Universal Patient Rights Association, Alzheimer’s Association President İzlem Sönmez and Prof. Dr. Füsun Yıldız were also present.
In her speech, Health Minister Altuğra emphasized that she is ready to do her part for Alzheimer’s patients to lead a better quality life.
Within the framework of the 21 September World Alzheimer’s Day awareness activities organized by the Alzheimer’s Association, Minister of Health Monitoring, Gürçağ Altuğra, met with Alzheimer’s patients and their relatives at the Universal Patient Rights Association Center today at 14.00.
In her speech, Altuğra, stated that she follows the Alzheimer’s Association with interest and appreciates its work, and said that the absence of nursing homes is one of the shortcomings in the country so that Alzheimer’s patients can live their lives with much higher quality standards.
Explaining that the lack of a center that Alzheimer’s patients can be entrusted to negatively affects the social life of people who are responsible for taking care of them.
Altuğra stated that as the Ministry of Health, they are ready to do their part and support them so that patients can lead a much better quality of life.
Mentioning the importance of preventing Alzheimer’s disease and reducing the cause of the disease, Altuğra talked about the importance of elements such as regular exercise, balanced diet, quality sleep and socialization in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and reducing the cause of the disease.
Pointing out that the number of Alzheimer’s diagnoses in the world is huge, Altuğra said, “Research shows that around 55 million people worldwide are diagnosed with Alzheimers.
Sadly, we observe that every year about 10 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This is a huge number,” she said.
In his speech, Alzheimer’s Association President İzlem Sönmez explained that Alzheimer’s Association, which was founded in May 2019 and has more than 100 members, carry out activities to draw attention to the problems experienced by patients and their relatives, to assist in patient caregiver training and to raise awareness.
Emphasizing that the biggest problem of Alzheimer’s patients and their relatives is finding a nurse.
Sönmez talked about the lack of specialist caregivers and noted that they are planning to open a Day Life Center as in Turkey.
Sönmez also counted the lack of places where patients in the first stage could socialize with the drug as one of the problems.
Prof. Dr. Füsun Yıldız, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of taking preventive measures before getting sick.
Stating that he attaches great importance to preventive medicine, Yıldız stated that everyone is a candidate for Alzheimer’s disease and conveyed the information that pathological changes begin 20 years before the symptoms appear in Alzheimer’s patients.
Emphasizing the importance of activities such as proper nutrition, exercise, avoidance of smoking and alcohol, socialization and hobbies, Yıldız added that the Covid-19 process, where socialization and contact decreased, is a disadvantageous period for Alzheimer’s.