Represented by President Florence Van and Associate Professor Bill Zeng, Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau participated in the 13th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International and related seminars during Oct. 21st to 24th in Malaysia. At the conference, there were good discussions from different respects over the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, study on its prevention, cure and nursing care as well as the importance of the quality of life among AD patients and their caregivers. Video conference system is used for the first time this year to conduct real time distance discussion and video transmission. 　　

Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) is the international federation of 73 Alzheimer associations around the world, in official relations with the World Health Organization. Each member is the national Alzheimer Association in their country who supports people with dementia and their families. ADI's vision is an improved quality of life for people with dementia and their families throughout the world. The conference theme of the year is “The Twin Towers of Dementia Care: Caring and Comforting”.

A number of Alzheimer’s specialists and scholars were invited to address the congress, including Prof. Barry Reisberg from USA, Prof. Henry Brodaty from Australia, Dr. Roy Jacob from India, Dr. Ang Peng Chye from Singapore and Mr. Glenn Rees from Australia, etc. Exploratory researches were made by keynote speakers respectively on earlier-stage Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI), the novel treatment ideas and methods of Alzheimer’s disease and the international development strategies on AD, according to India’s experience, for instance, the dementia cognition and new trend of cure and actions needed for Asia-pacific AD patients, etc. The seminar participants were composed of medical specialists, pharmacists, head of residential homes and dementia caretakers from Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand, UK and USA. They pointed out that generally there is limited awareness of Alzheimer’s disease over Asia-Pacific area where people think AD is the natural aging phenomenon rather than the result of disease. This usually makes a patient’s condition worse once the disease is identified and misses timing of treatment. Meanwhile, insufficient social resources can hardly meet nursing needs; moreover, few professional training for nursing workers also makes it difficult to implement relevant nursing policies and offer support to caregivers.

Macau is launching Alzheimer’s disease service and research project. The establishment of “Macau Alzheimer’s Disease Association” is encouraged by ADI President Dr. Daisy Acosta who expects to see MADA becoming one of the ADI members. The Honorary Consultant of Alzheimer’s Disease-Chinese (ADC), Prof. Yin Hua Wang hoped that they can witness the historical moment of the ceremony for MADA’s establishment, following that of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan’s local Alzheimer’s Disease Association so that the cross-straits workers will jointly make contributions together. Ex-Officio Member of HKADA Dr. David L. K. Dai and Chairman of Executive Committee Dr. Wu Yee Ming would also like to spare no efforts to assist in the founding of MADA and try their best to help with the research project developed between MADA and Australian Professor Henry Brodaty as well as to get short-term training courses scheduled.

President Florence Van and Assoc. Prof. Bill Zeng have learned valuable experiences and got useful information through a good exchange with the specialists and scholars from around the world, which would surely help enlighten Macau’s future development of public health policies against Alzheimer’s disease. To tackle the crucial challenge of social population aging facing Macau, by referring to the foreign experiences, KWNC intends to launch monographic study among the general public, professionals and Alzheimer’s disease caregivers while exploring their cognition and attitudes towards dementia so as to enhance awareness and understanding of this disease among people from all walks of life.