After the meeting of the Slovenian Council for Dementia Management, on 2 November 2022, at the Office of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia launched a public debate regarding the proposed Slovenian National Dementia Strategy until 2030. The strategy was prepared by an interdisciplinary working group appointed by the Minister of Health. Štefanija L. Zlobec, president of Spominčica – Alzheimer Slovenia, is a member of this interdisciplinary group. The strategy proposal includes the essential elements and commitments contained in the documents adopted at the level of the European Union and the World Health Organization, as well as strategies in the field of dementia management in other countries. It represents a fundamental document that enables a coordinated and integrated approach of all stakeholders in solving the problem of dementia and related conditions. The aim of the strategy is to ensure preventive measures, early detection of dementia and an appropriate standard of medical and social care for people with the condition. It is based on the knowledge that people with dementia form a particularly vulnerable target group, the size of which is rapidly increasing due to demographic changes and the ageing of the population, while focusing on the individual and their needs, which requires coordinated and responsive action by the State and a multidisciplinary treatment approach, notes Spominčica – Alzheimer Slovenia.
The ten objectives of the strategy, are:
1. Promotion of preventive programs to reduce risk factors and to maintain and strengthen health in the community with different approaches to individual groups and individuals.
2. Diagnosing the early stages of neurocognitive disorders, improving access to quality, safe and effective health care and treatment.
3. Improving access to appropriate and coordinated post-diagnostic multidisciplinary treatment for people with dementia, including integrated treatment, long-term care, social services, support for families or caregivers in the local environment, and access to palliative care.
4. The use of modern information and communication technologies for the treatment and support of people with dementia.
5. Respecting the dignity of people with dementia, reducing stigma and raising awareness among the wider society and the professional public for the development and establishment of dementia-friendly communities.
6. Education of all professional groups in the field of dementia management.
7. Establishing national dementia data collection.
8. Promoting modern dementia research.
9. Establishing a National Dementia Center.
10. Appropriate treatment of persons with dementia during epidemics and other emergencies.
"To create a dementia-friendly environment, we need to improve the awareness and cooperation of all stakeholders in the chain of care for people with dementia", concludes Spominčica – Alzheimer Slovenia.