DOHA: The Elderly Empowerment and Care Centre (Ehsan) is preparing is gearing up to launch an awareness campaign to mark World Alzheimer’s Day, observed on 21 September.
The campaign titled ‘Let’s talk about Alzheimer’s’ will be launched on the centre’s social media platforms, with the aim of raising awareness of this disease, its causes, symptoms, stages and methods of prevention.
It will also offer instructions for dealing with an Alzheimer’s patient. The awareness campaign includes a set of activities that will be held through a live broadcast via Instagram in cooperation with the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs.
The session with Sheikh Ahmed Al Farajabi, a Shariah expert at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and a family adviser in the Islamic Network, will be presented by journalist Ahmed Al Jarbi and discuss religious aspects related to the disease in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It will also include a discussion with Salem Al Anzi, head of the psychological care unit at Ehsan Centre, which will focus on the psychological state of Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers in the wake of the pandemic. The discussion will be moderated by journalist Ahmed Al Maliki.
Qatar’s efforts
In cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Buthaina Abdul Jalil will interview Dr Hanadi Al Hamad, Medical Director at Rumailah Hospital and Qatar Rehabilitation Centre and director of the Elderly and Long-Term Care Department at HMC.
The interview will focus on Qatar’s efforts to care for Alzheimer’s patients during the pandemic. The campaign aims to educate the community on Alzheimer’s disease and highlight the important guidelines to deal with and prevent it.
It seeks to involve community members in caring for the elderly and identifying their most important social and medical needs and rights.
The campaign will include awareness messages that will be broadcast on Ehsan Centre’s social media platforms.
Mubarak bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Executive Director, Ehsan Centre, said: “Every year on 21 September, we celebrate this day with awareness activities for all age groups in the community. This year’s campaign carries the title ‘Let’s talk about Alzheimer’s disease’ as Ehsan seeks to improve awareness about this disease.”