Call for Early Diagnosis and Care Home from Prof. Dr. Sevnaz Şahin, Head of the Alzheimer's Association of Turkey, Izmir Branch

Prof. Dr. Sevnaz Şahin, Head of the Alzheimer's Association of Turkey, Izmir Branch, drew attention to the importance of early diagnosis in Alzheimer's disease and announced that daytime living centers should be expanded to ease the burden on patients' families.

Importance of Early Diagnosis and Awareness

It was stated that accepting forgetfulness in advanced age as a normal aging process reduces the chance of early diagnosis. It was noted that due to low Alzheimer's awareness in society, symptoms often go unnoticed until advanced stages.

Challenges of the Care Process

It was emphasized that dementia is a long-term chronic process that affects not only the patient but also their family and environment. It was reported that the care burden in our country is mostly undertaken by family members, which increases the risk of burnout.

Daytime Living Centers

It was stated that increasing the number of daytime living homes and care centers is of critical importance to support patient relatives. Attention was drawn to the fact that the current number of these centers in Izmir remains inadequate.

National Dementia Strategic Plan

It was announced that the National Dementia Strategic Plan, prepared by the Alzheimer's Association of Turkey, has been completed and forwarded to the relevant institutions. It was stated that with the implementation of the plan, prevention, early diagnosis, and care processes will be carried out more effectively.