Dubai: A 24-hour helpline for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease was launched by the Dubai Health Authority on Monday.

Through the UAE helpline — 056 3710077 — patients and their caregivers will have access to information on the disease as well as advice on treatment options.

Apart from the helpline, the Community Centre for the Elderly in Al Mamzar also announced the launch of an Alzheimer’s support group. 
The Friends of Alzheimer’s Patients group will meet on the first Thursday of every month.

There is a need to improve the low level of awareness towards Alzheimer’s disease, said Dr Mohammad Gamil Al Noamani, Senior Specialist Geriatrician and Head of Medical Affairs at the Centre.

Speaking to Gulf News, he said Alzheimer’s is an irreversible and a progressive brain disease. “Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia [decline in brain functions]. At the Centre, 70 per cent of our in-patients suffer from some form of dementia. It cannot be cured; however medication is available to slow down the development of the condition in some cases. The symptoms include memory problems, disorientation, and personality and behavioural changes.”

Due to the symptoms, a person with Alzheimer’s needs both physical and mental care, he said. “Communication becomes difficult, and the patient may find it increasingly difficult to live a normal life, sustain meaningful relationships and in general make sense of the world around him. The helpline will provide assistance to ensure that the patient has access to learning about coping strategies, therapies and care options,” he said.

Desiree Vlekken, founder and CEO of 4get-me-not.org, a non-profit organisation she set up after her father was diagnosed with the disease, said there was a stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s and that the helpline was a way to communicate and ask for help.

“Due to the low level of awareness and the hesitancy due to cultural norms, people don’t voluntarily reach out,” she said.

In a media statement, Jasem Mohammad Kalban, acting-director of the Community Centre, said: “Presently medications can only slow the pace of deterioration that patients with this condition suffer from. Therefore the role of caregivers and health care professionals is pivotal for timely diagnose and management of this condition.”