Since 2011, the month of September has been the global Alzheimer's disease month on the initiative of Alzheimer's Disease International. At this time, there are activities around the world to raise public awareness about dementia, which is the silent epidemic of modern times. This year's theme is timely diagnosis, because timely recognition of the signs of dementia, diagnosis, appropriate treatment and lifestyle contribute to a higher quality of life for patients and their relatives.
It's dementia one of the worst diseases of modern society, which reaches the scale of a pandemic on a European and global scale. Due to the sharp increase in the number of patients with dementia, the disease is recognized as one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st century. The disease lasts an average of 10 to 15 years, and there is still no cure for it. More than lives in Slovenia 34,000 people with dementia, and each one is cared for by an average of three more people. By 2040, the number of people with dementia is expected to double, which means that we will have almost 70,000 patients and more than 200,000 people who will take care of them, or in other words: almost 300,000 people will be burdened with the disease in one way or another.
Also Post of Slovenia joins this year in caring for one of the most vulnerable social groups. In cooperation with Association Spominčica - Alzheimer Sloveniaa will carry out a series of activities aimed at raising awareness among the Slovenian public about dementia and reducing the stigma of dementia, which is still very present in our society. In addition, together with Spominčica, Pošta Slovenije will inform Post employees about this difficult and often ignored disease through various materials.
During these days, households in Ljubljana, Maribor, Koper, Celje and Murska Sobota received information leaflets about the first signs of dementia, the characteristics of the disease, the appropriate approach to people with dementia and the contacts of the Spominčica Association, where patients and their relatives can get information, advice and help. In the first step of this socially responsible project, Pošta Slovenije decided on larger urban centers, because those over the age of 65 are particularly vulnerable there due to weaker social ties, and in addition, as many as a third of them live alone.
These days, the Spominčica Association called on journalists, who play an extremely important role in raising public awareness of socially important topics, to wear the purple bow that they received in the mail on this day, and Pošta Slovenije will use leaflets and posters to call on the people of Slovenia to donate To the Spominčica Association via SMS number 1919 with the keyword MEMORY5. The Spominčica Association has been supporting people with dementia and their relatives for almost 25 years, and their work has become more and more demanding over the years, as dementia has reached epidemic proportions in our country as well.
It is the first such broad campaign to raise awareness about dementia in our country. Post of Slovenia and will cooperate with Združenje Spominčica even after the end of the September campaign.
