To offer appropriate care for Alzheimer’s disease patients, it is crucial for caregivers to grasp the effective ways of taking care of the patients, and through the details of daily life identify whether the elders at home suffer from the disease, and arrange suitable treatments for them as early as possible. “Benevolence Lights Up My Later Life” - An Education System Project in tackling problems related to an ageing society, organized by Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC), co-organized by Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM), Macau Alzheimer’s Disease Association (MADA) and General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macao (UGAMM), recently held a caregiver training workshop and a public lecture on the care given to Alzheimer’s disease patients. The workshop named “A Manual of Comprehensive Community Care for Patients of Alzheimer’s Disease” was given by Ms. Lam Iok Chu, social worker and Director of Meng Fai Nursing Home of Macao and Board Member of MADA, and the lecture entitled “Recognize Alzheimer’s Disease at An Early Stage: Distinction between Normal Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease” was delivered by Dr. Vai Man Chi, Deputy Chief and Principal Consultant of the Medical Department of Kiang Wu Hospital and Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors of MADA. Ms. Ma Pui Wan, social worker and Head of Cheng I Elderly Integrated Services Centre of UGAMM and Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors of MADA, and Dr. Zeng Wen, Associate Professor of KWNC and Chairman of Board of Directors of MADA were also invited to participate in the discussions of the workshop and lecture.

Ms. Lam Iok Chu mentions that the issue of ageing population is growingly severe, and the general public’s lack of knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease is one of the problems worth attention. In most cases, delayed treatment results from ignorance of the disease and negligence in the health conditions of the elderly at home. Ms. Lam shares with the caregivers eight useful tips to take care of Alzheimer’s disease patients, and they are (1) respect and show understanding of the patients; (2) retain the same living environment that the patients are familiar with; (3) let them feel at ease; (4) help them maintain a regular mode of life and rest habit; (5) address their daily needs in a flexible way; (6) encourage them to keep their original interests and hobbies; (7) support them in pursuing things that are within their competence; (8) build a harmonious ambience for the family and treasure the present moment of getting along with them. Ms. Lam indicates that an appropriate and comfortable home setting can be created by applying the above tips along with some simple arrangements of daily life such as to select comfortable clothing for patients, install handrails in washrooms and help them maintain a balanced diet.

In addition to Ms. Lam’s tips, Dr. Vai Man Chi summarizes ten major signs of Alzheimer’s disease, including (1) experiencing memory decline for recent events and daily activities being affected; (2) encountering difficulties in performing tasks that the patient used to be familiar with; (3) often misplacing things; (4) losing the initiative in doing things; (5) finding it difficult to comprehend abstract concepts; (6) experiencing decline in judgement; (7) undergoing changes in moods or behaviours; (8) losing the ability to express and interpret; (9) experiencing changes in characters; (10) undergoing impairment in thinking, calculation and abstract thinking. Dr. Vai expresses that to identify Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage can prevent the disease from worsening. As a result, it is suggested to arrange health check for the elderly in hospitals or community centres as early as possible if we deduce they suffer from the disease.

“Benevolence Lights Up My Later Life” will hold the last public lecture “Prevention of Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease Begins with the Fine-tuning of Daily Habits” at 2:30pm on 1 December 2012 (Saturday) at Kin I Elderly Services Centre of FAOM. The lecture will be delivered by Ms. Lei Wai In, Board Member of MADA, Lecturer of KWNC and specialist nurse in gerontology. Interested parties are welcome to attend. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Ma on 28261400 during office hours. Moreover, KWNC has developed the “Benevolence Lights Up My Later Life” website platform to introduce the Project and its features, provide information about the current situation of ageing and Alzheimer's disease in Macao and around the world, lectures and workshops, prize quiz and so on. For more details, please browse the website http://www.kwnc.edu.mo/baba/.