115 Newly Diagnosed Dementia Patients Detected Early
Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam announced on the 10th that it has completed an early dementia screening survey for 10,433 people, which is 70% of the 14,908 residents aged 65 and over, excluding dementia patients and those with mild cognitive impairment.
This comprehensive survey was conducted to detect high-risk dementia groups early and reduce blind spots in dementia management services. Cognitive screening tests were conducted while visiting senior centers in towns and villages as well as individual households, providing information on the necessity of early dementia screening, dementia prevention education, and dementia support services.
As a result of the survey, 7,477 people (71.6%) underwent cognitive screening tests, 1,304 people (12.5%) were not screened due to hospital admission, long-term absence, or disabilities (speech, hearing), 981 people (9.4%) refused screening, and 671 people (6.4%) resided in other regions.
Notably, among the 2,587 people who received dementia screening for the first time in their lives, 115 dementia patients and 24 individuals with mild cognitive impairment were detected early. Hapcheon-gun provides these individuals with support for dementia screening fees and dementia treatment management costs, supplies care items such as diapers, and offers customized dementia management services.
A health center official stated, “We plan to analyze the survey data and use it as basic data for next year’s dementia management projects. For those who have not been screened, we plan to encourage screening through phone calls and mail.”
Health Center Director An Myeong-gi said, “By 2025, we plan to provide convenience so that any resident can receive cognitive screening tests at any health institution,” adding, “We will strive to establish an integrated management service system to detect dementia patients in care blind spots early and slow the progression of severe dementia.”
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