Thursday, September 21, 2023 is World Alzheimer’s Day, with this year’s theme ‘At the table together’, chosen by our volunteers. On this day we ask for extra attention for dementia. The regional divisions of Alzheimer’s Netherlands organize great activities to enjoy together and to raise awareness of the subject of dementia. And we’re calling on everyone to wear a Forget-me-not that day.
On Thursday, September 21, 2023, two Amstelveen dementia experts will organize a free information café in the Amstelland Library at Stadshart Amstelveen. With representatives from healthcare and Amstelveen politics, but also with fellow victims, you can talk about what happens when a form of dementia enters your life.
Monica Penders is a journalist and former radio and TV producer. In 2022, her husband Wim passed away after struggling with being blind and dementia for three years. She pours her experiences into the ‘Travel guide through the elusive world of dementia’ and the blog site ‘Forgotten, but not forgotten’. The husband of her good friend Dorien Mijksenaar (singer and theater maker) also developed dementia.
Life disruptive. Together they came up with a plan to organize an information day for people who are confronted with this often life-disrupting condition. World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, 2023 is the target date.
Dementia is on the rise: information is needed. Everyone knows someone with a form of dementia, or will be confronted with it in the future. The number of North Hollanders with this disease (around 45,000) will be around 60,000 in seven years (2030). In 2040, that number will be around 81,000. How do you know if someone has the disease? How can this be recognized? Dementia is drastic for everyone who has to deal with it. Often people do not know where or how to find help, or in what form.
Awareness and help. ‘We want to help people find their way by sharing experiences with them,’ says Dorien Mijksenaar. ‘That is why we, together with district nurse Piet Scholte, have arranged this day and location in the library at the Stadshart. Mijksenaar knows better than anyone that sharing knowledge and experience is necessary. She had to deal with financial consequences as a result of her husband’s illness. ‘When I heard the word dementia I always thought: that’s such a terrible thing, never mind, time will come, advice will come. But when the time comes, you’ve missed the point. This world was unknown to me’.
(Source Dementia Blog – 2023)
The flyer of the information café about dementia
Free entry after registration. Interested parties are most welcome on Thursday 21 September 2023 on the first floor of the Amstelland Library (Stadsplein 102 Amstelveen). Admission is free, but advance registration is requested ([email protected] ). The walk-in is from 13:30, the program starts at 14:00 and lasts until 16:30.
Dementia is the general name for a decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person’s ability to perform daily activities. This is usually accompanied by problems with memory, thinking and behaviour. Aside from memory impairment and a disruption of thought patterns, the most common symptoms are emotional problems, language problems and decreased motivation. The symptoms can be described as occurring in a continuum over different stages. Dementia ultimately has a significant effect on the individual, caregivers and social relationships in general. A diagnosis of dementia requires the observation of a change from one’s usual mental functioning and greater cognitive decline than what is caused by normal aging.
2023-09-02 12:20:47
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