The association Dementia Lithuania launched a petition calling for a dementia strategy in Lithuania. The association stated: “In order to properly respond to the economic, social and health challenges related to dementia, Lithuania needs to have long-term, purposeful goals and an action plan. Dementia is currently an incurable neurodegenerative syndrome that affects a person's cognitive functions and ability to take care of themselves. Dementia poses significant economic, health and social well-being difficulties for Lithuanian society, as well as throughout the entire world. With effective dementia management measures in the state, up to 40 percent of cases of dementia (Lancet, 2020) can be prevented or delayed, and those who already have dementia can be provided with adequate care.”
The dementia situation in Lithuania is raising concerns:
• Currently about 42,000 people have dementia, and by 2050 this number will double.
• The public is not informed about effective strategies to reduce the risk of dementia.
• Dementia is usually diagnosed late: the public and specialists lack the knowledge to recognise the first signs and because of widespread negative attitudes related to dementia, people avoid seeking help in time.
• Health and social service systems are not ready to provide accessible, individualised and quality assistance to every citizen in a timely manner.
• There are many gaps in the training of specialists, in early diagnosis and post-diagnostic care.
• Most people with dementia live at home, cared for by relatives without the necessary knowledge or skills. Without adequate support, such individuals face negative economic, health and social welfare consequences.
A national dementia strategy in Lithuania would help to prepare for dementia-related difficulties, reduce the risk of dementia, improve the quality and availability of services by providing assistance to persons with dementia and their relatives, stimulate innovations in the field and establish trustworthy monitoring of the key dementia indicators. The petition, which was open for over a month, collected nearly 2,000 signatures from individuals who have personal experience of dementia or are working in the field. Support was also officially expressed by such organisations as the Association of Social Work Schools, the Association of Nursing Specialists, and the Association of Municipal Public Health Bureaus. The next step is for Dementia Lithuania to present its petition to the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania.
