Lyna Mohamad
While World Dementia Month is celebrated every month of September, World Dementia Day is celebrated on September 21.
As part of the celebrations for World Dementia Day, Demensia Brunei in collaboration with the Health Promotion Centre (HPC), Ministry of Health (MoH) and Community Development Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) held a community screening for dementia at the Lambak Senior Citizen (PKWE Lambak) Centre yesterday.
Among the highlights were an educational session for the elderly covering the risk factors of dementia, symptoms and warning signs of dementia and a brief cognitive assessment tool, a talk by Geriatrics Medical Officer Dr Jian Yu Lei and a screening process at PKWE Lambak.
Similar activities were also conducted at the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), in collaboration between Demensia Brunei and PAPRSB IHS UBD, where the two-day walk-in dementia screening event was held at the PAPRSB IHS Extension Building, UBD on Monday and yesterday.
Talks were led by Assistant Professor Dr Asmah Husaini, and supported by nursing students during their mid-semester break.
Demensia Brunei collaborated with PAPRSB IHS, UBD in organising a Dementia Care Skills Workshop yesterday at Lecture Theatre 1, PAPRSB IHS Extension Building, UBD. The presentation was based on a three-day full workshop of Dementia Care Skills provided by Demensia Brunei.
Based on materials provided by Alzheimer’s Disease International, the workshop was presented by Consultant Geriatrician Dr Shyh Poh Teo.
Community screening for dementia in Brunei project is supported by MoH, MCYS, Demensia Brunei, UBD and the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC).
The community screening programme is aimed at the elderly aged 60 and above, as well as those aged 50 and older with risk factors for dementia, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, kidney disease or stroke.
The screening process involves looking at a person’s risk factors for dementia, symptoms or warning signs of dementia, and a brief cognitive assessment tool and will be carried out at different sites over the next few months, including the Senior Citizen Activity Centres, Bandarku Ceria, Senior Citizens Associations, pasar tamu and community libraries.
