To mark Brain Awareness Week (BAW) 2019, Alzheimer Croatia conducted public lectures on brain health and dementia and offered free testing of cognitive abilities. BAW is a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research and this year’s edition took place from 11-17 March.
The main theme of the lecture was approaching people with dementia in a way which enables communication to be established at moments when their attention is absent. Specifically, following problems experienced by family caregivers in communication with people with dementia, Alzheimer Croatia has realised that communication techniques are not their only obstacle. Moreover, misguided approaches to approaching communication with people with dementia can even cause a person with dementia to refuse to communicate or to become agitated. That is why understanding the non-verbal and para-verbal expressions can make a big difference.
A new opportunity to test the cognitive abilities of senior citizens in the capital of Croatia, Zagreb confirmed previous results. Half of those tested expressed some form of cognitive impairment. People for whom these impairments are significant are then referred to their general practitioner (GP) for further treatment. These activities were realised as part of the programme “City of Zagreb is becoming a Dementia Friendly Community”.