Ganghwa County Offers Free Early Dementia Screening Year-Round

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Ganghwa County announced on the 2nd that it is conducting free early dementia screening year-round for a healthy old age of local residents aged 60 and older at the county public health center, public health branch offices, public health clinics, and the Northern Cognitive Health Center.

Early dementia screening is carried out through a dementia screening tool (MMSE-DS) to measure and screen for cognitive decline. Depending on the test results, in cases suspected of cognitive impairment, a final diagnosis of dementia is made through a first-stage neurocognitive examination (LICA), followed by a second-stage examination by a specialist and differential tests (blood tests, brain CT scans).

The county provides free support for the cost of early dementia screening for the healthy old age of seniors. In addition, for those who receive a final diagnosis of dementia, the county supports dementia treatment medication costs (with an out-of-pocket cost of up to 30,000 won per month) for residents with income at or below 120% of the median income. Furthermore, it also supports caregiving items such as walkers for the elderly, brain function improvement supplements, and diapers, as well as items to prevent missing persons, such as location trackers.

An official at the county public health center said, "If those aged 60 and older experience symptoms of forgetfulness, it is very important to first visit a nearby public health center, public health branch office, or dementia care center for systematic screening and professional counseling," adding, "Those aged 75 and older are in a high-risk group for dementia, so they must be sure to receive early screening."

Meanwhile, to eliminate blind spots in dementia care for seniors, the county established a Dementia Management Division at the public health center in June and integrated the operation of a system for early dementia screening, patient care, dementia prevention programs, and total dementia care services.

In addition, the county has significantly expanded investment in dementia management and operates public facilities dedicated to dementia by district. By district, the Dementia Care Center at the county public health center opened in June 2018, and the Northern Cognitive Health Center in Hajeom-myeon opened in December 2018. Administrative procedures are underway for the Southern Cognitive Health Center in Gilsang-myeon and the dementia-specialized Humanity Center in Bureun-myeon, which are targeted for completion next year and the year after, respectively.

Ganghwa County Mayor Yu Cheon-ho said, "We established the Dementia Management Division to provide high-quality health and medical services such as the prevention and early screening of dementia, which is seniors' biggest concern," adding, "We will continue to spare no investment for the healthy old age of our residents."