Greece adopts plan to prevent dementia ‘pandemic’

In what was described as a “legislative breakthrough”, the Greek government announced a comprehensive action plan to tackle dementia, considered by analysts as a significant challenge for the country’s ageing population.

As part of a wider mental health reform in Greece, the health ministry announced an action plan on Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease for “ethical delineation and safeguarding of patients’ rights”.

The Athens Alzheimer’s Association welcomed the initiative, describing it as a “legislative breakthrough” in the Greek health system.

Analysts suggest that dementia and the Alzheimer’s disease are expected to become one of the most significant burdens for the Greek health system in the years to come.

A national pandemic

Dementia, besides being a serious medical problem as it affects 10% of people over 65 years of age and 35% of people over 80 years of age, is also a major socioeconomic issue affecting the social security system, as well as the national economy and the quality of life of families and households.

Dementia is an umbrella term that describes the loss of memory, impaired thinking ability and inability to perform daily activities. Even though a series of diseases or injuries cause dementia, Alzheimer’s is the most common form, contributing to 60-70% of cases.

As age increases the risk of dementia and in combination with Greece’s ageing population, the condition is set to develop into a pandemic in the country in the following years.

“Soon, one-quarter of the population will be over 60 years old, and more than 450,000 already suffer from dementia-related diseases. We are glad that the state finally recognises the major problem of dementia, the pandemic of our time”, Dr Paraskevi Sakka, Neurologist – Psychiatrist, President of the Athens Alzheimer’s Association and President of the Greek National Observatory for Dementia – Alzheimer, told Euractiv.

In addition, for every person with dementia-related diseases, there are two or three family members who provide long-term care (5-15 years). That means that more than 10% of Greeks are patients or caregivers of people with dementia.

The action plan announcement is important since the state seems to be “now moving forward with effective proposals and solutions”, as Dr Sakka said.

The legislative framework

This isn’t the first national plan for dementia. The one drawn back in 2016 wasn’t implemented to any meaningful extent except by putting some services and structures in place.

But it was a base for developing the new, “updated and more comprehensive plan”, according to Dr Sakka.

The Greek plan for dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease “is an effort (…) for Greece to take the lead” on an issue that the necessary steps have not yet been done, while dementia is expected to constitute “a truly national pandemic” in the future, Health Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said in a press conference early this month.

The new bill, which will be put to electronic deliberation before being sent to the Greek parliament for discussion and voting, is expected to safeguard the fundamental rights of people with dementia and their informal caregivers.

“For the first time, there will be an ethical delineation and safeguarding of patients’ rights, as well as institutional recognition of their informal carers”, the health minister highlighted during the announcement of the Plan.

In addition, the proposed legislation includes the introduction of a “care and health representative” of the patient, who will be appointed for each patient with dementia and Alzheimer’s. This person will act as a legal representative for care and treatment issues when the patient loses cognitive functions and cannot make decisions.

The proxy with the appointment of a ‘care and health representative’ will be drawn up when the diagnosis is made, and the disease is still at its early stages, so the patient can still state the person of their choice.

“It is a very important legislative breakthrough because the bill regulates crucial legal and procedural issues in the daily lives of sufferers”, Dr Paraskevi Sakka said to Euractiv, adding that the new draft bill has “the ultimate goal of relieving the burden, better quality of life for them and their families”.

“It is now being updated, supplemented and hopefully put into practice” really soon, Dr Sakka commented.

(Marianthi Pelekanaki – Edited by Vasiliki Angouridi | Euractiv.com)

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