World Alzheimer's Day on 24 September
Forgetting is human - support for family carers of dementia patients
This year's event, organised by the City of Chemnitz's DementiaNet_C to mark World Alzheimer's Day on Saturday, 24 September 2016 at Chemnitz University of Technology, is dedicated to two key topics: "Visiting the doctor - between willingness and refusal" and "Dementia life and survival - stress management for family carers" . September 2016 at Chemnitz University of Technology.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., competent contact persons from various outpatient service providers, care services, consultants for technical and other aids, experts from outpatient and inpatient care services and, last but not least, the staff of the Department for Senior Citizens' and Disability Assistance, Local Care Authority of the Social Welfare Office, will be available for a personal and, if necessary, confidential discussion.
The DemenzNetz_C project was presented with the Saxon Geriatric Care Award 2016 by State Minister for Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, Barbara Klepsch, in May 2016. She will open the event with a welcoming address.
In addition to the various presentations, the open discussion with Eva-Maria Popp, author of the book "Von hier bis zur Unendlichkeit" (From here to infinity), will certainly be of interest to family carers. She will talk about how she got to know the well-known pop singer and presenter Bernhard Brink and how the idea for his book came about. Few people know that Bernhard Brink had a father with dementia.
In order to make it easier for relatives of people in need of care to attend the event, a professional care service will be available free of charge for the duration of the event. The facility is barrier-free.
On request, a sign language interpreter will accompany the event. Please register your need for this by 9 September 2016 on 0371 488-5020.
Caring relatives and interested parties are cordially invited. Registration is not required. The event is free of charge. Information about the event can also be obtained from the City of Chemnitz Social Welfare Office on 0371 488-5020.
Venue:
Chemnitz University of Technology, Orangery (new lecture theatre building), Reichenhainer Straße 90, 09126 Chemnitz
Background:
In Germany, more than one million people now suffer from memory loss that goes beyond the age-related decline in mental abilities. Because people are getting older and older, the incidence of dementia is also on the rise.
Family carers often report that they experienced the first phase of the disease as almost the worst, especially when the person affected noticed their own deficits: e.g. no longer being able to take part in conversations due to word-finding difficulties or desperately looking for things that they had previously put away themselves. This is often accompanied by depressive moods or even aggression in those affected. In addition, the patient often refuses to go to the doctor, which places an additional burden on the family carer.
The care, which in most cases is provided by close family members, increasingly influences their everyday lives. They are faced with the dilemma of wanting to treat the dementia sufferer with dignity, but having to face the growing challenges themselves.