June 8, 2022 - The City of Zagreb and the Croatian Alzheimer's Association have published a brochure "Expanding Social Services in the Community to Help People with Dementia" to encourage dementia awareness and community services, in which many authors have contributed.

The brochure was published within the EU Project "All for Memory (SPAM)" funded by the European Social Fund in the financial period 2014, which seeks to support people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia by providing new social services in Zagreb, by establishing an afternoon residence for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, as well as members of their families, reports tportal.hr.

"The efforts of experts to sensitize the public to the needs of people with dementia and their families and to provide them with services in the place of residence do not stop because it is understood that only cooperation and joint efforts can achieve the goals set in the Project," said Deputy Head of the City Office for social protection, health, veterans and persons with disabilities and project manager Mirela Šentija Knežević.

According to estimates, more than 17,000 people with Alzheimer's disease live in the City of Zagreb and are cared for by about 50,000 people, mostly family members.

The project is designed to integrate social services into the health care system, and an afternoon daycare center for people with AB and other dementias will be established in the Zagreb area, as well as accommodation services and a mobile team.

The director of the Institute of Public Health, Branko Kolarić, emphasized the importance of education for formal and informal carers and the importance of communication with people with dementia in nursing homes, about which the Institute conducts education.

Care for people with dementia often exceeds the physical and mental capacity of informal carers, such as family members, and they need the support and advice of professionals on how to care for a sick person, adjust behavior, space, and the like.  

Tomislav Huić, Executive Vice President of the Croatian Alzheimer's Association, pointed out that the changes in the last five years have been great. 

"We have two reference centers in Zagreb, the development of new services and progress are visible. This brochure is important because it shows the direction of public policies in which the development of public services will continue," he said. 

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