There has been a media frenzy surrounding World Alzheimer’s Day, which was celebrated on the 21st of September, and rightly so. Elderly mental health is an important issue not least because of our aeging population. By 2050 it is estimated that the number of older persons in the world will exceed the number of young for the first time in the history of mankind. The theme for this year was ‘Diagnosing Dementia: See It Sooner’.
Dementia is becoming increasingly common worldwide and Malta is no exception. It is estimated that in 45 years the number of people suffering from this condition locally will double. This presents various challenges for the authorities concerned who have to set appropriate facilities to accommodate these individuals and also for those professionals who have to be adequately prepared to provide the best quality of care.
The Maltese Association of Psychiatric Nurses is aware of these challenges and urges everyone to become more knowledgable where elderly mental health is concerned. With this in mind the association has been busy organising an Elderly Mental Health conference spread over two days (26th – 27th October) at the Corintha Palace Hotel. A number of local and foreign speakers will be discussing various subjects such as dementia, depression and communication.
For more information I invite anyone interested to visit our website www.map-n.com or send an e-mail to mailto:mapsychnurses@gmail.com.
Kevin Gafa
President- Maltese Association of Psychiatric Nurses
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