CALL FOR HELP: A new call center is to be established to help families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, as more people are developing early-onset dementia
Taipei Time
Date: Nov 17, 2019
By: Yang Mien-chieh and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Taiwan Alzheimer Disease Association are jointly
Members of the Taiwan Alzheimer’s Disease Association hold a sign showing the National Dementia Helpline number at an undated event.
Photo provided by the Taiwan Alzheimer’s Disease Association
The call center, which would operate from 9am to 9pm from Monday to Friday, is intended to lessen the burden of families of the 280,000 people nationwide who have Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions that lead to dementia, the ministry said. In recent years, more people are developing early-onset dementia — when the condition arises in those 65 years old and under — and their family members are seeking help in caring for them, it said.
The jointly run call center would be available through the existing dementia hotline (0800-474-580), and would provide additional support for the families of younger dementia sufferers, it said.
The hotline, which has been in service for 10 years, has seen a four-fold increase in callers seeking help with early-onset dementia in comparison with six years ago, when the number of callers began to noticeably increase, association secretary-general Tang Li-yu (湯麗玉) said. [FULL STORY]
