The ‘dementia tsunami’ and why Hong Kong isn’t ready to cope with expected surge in cases as population ages
A dementia care crisis looms for Hong Kong, experts say. Cases often aren’t spotted early enough, medical care is fragmented, families don’t plan for what happens if an elderly relative has it, and advance directives aren’t widely used
As Hong Kong’s population ages, experts warn of a looming crisis over the long-neglected problem of dementia, a disease that is misunderstood on many levels.
Dementia is projected by 2050 to afflict a third of the city’s inhabitants aged 80 or over. The most common type is Alzheimer’s disease, a life-limiting illness marked by a gradual deterioration in one’s mental capacities including memory, judgment and the ability to communicate.
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Eric Chan, a Hong Kong Neurological Society council member, is concerned about the public’s poor understanding of dementia. “In the early stages, people can’t differentiate what kind of memory loss is psychological, that is associated with, say Alzheimer’s, or if it’s just forgetfulness or decline of brain power due to ageing,” the neurologist says. Consequently, sufferers get medical attention later rather than sooner.
Institutional issues complicate the way cases are handled, Chan notes.
“Dementia is a topic that is quite separately managed by different disciplines: psychiatrists, geriatricians, general doctors, even neurosurgeons in private practice,” he says. Neurologists in Hong Kong have a less active role in dealing with dementia than they do elsewhere. He urges a more integrated approach to address this issue.
