Prague, Jan 5 (CTK) – The number of people suffering from dementia (Alzheimer’s disease) has been rising in the Czech Republic and it has doubled since 1990 exceeding 150,000, says a report on dementia issued by the Czech Alzheimer Society (CAS).
The number of people with dementia has been projected at more than 180,000 in 2020 due to the population ageing.
However, the Czech Republic lags behind advanced countries countries in the care for these patients.
“The risk of dementia is rising with rising age,” the report says.
According to experts’ calculations and estimates, every other person over 90, one in five over 80 and one in 13 over 65 suffer from dementia in the Czech Republic. Two-third of the patients are women as they live longer than men in general.
The elderly over 65 make up almost one-fifth (more than 1.9 million) of the 10.5-million population of the Czech Republic, according to the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) data.
There are more than 43,000 people over 90 in the country.
Statisticians estimate the number of people over 65 at up to more than 2.5 million in 2030 and those over 80 at up to more than 800,000, while in 2050, almost 1.2 million might be over 80 and more than 3.3 million over 65. Moreover, there might be about 20,000 centenarians.
The rise in the number of very old people is the most significant demographic change, experts agree.
According to the CAS, the care for patients suffering from dementia is not interconnected in the Czech Republic, it is partially provided by the health care sector and partially by social services.
A long-term integrated health and social care does not exist in the Czech Republic yet, the CAS says.
In the neighbouring Germany and Austria, one-quarter and one- third of such patients, respectively, receive the necessary care, while in the Czech Republic it is less than one-tenth of Alzheimer patients.
“If we wanted to offer a similar volume of services in the Czech Republic as the European average, we would have to triple the existing capacities,” the CAS’s report says.
About one-quarter of people with dementia use health care services.
Besides, roughly one-fifth of people in senior homes suffer from dementia.
The capacities offered by the regions, church and non-profit organisations as well private providers has been only slowly rising.
Family or friends are looking after some 100,000 Alzheimer patients.
According to surveys, two to three relatives, friends or neighbours look after one person with dementia and they secure up to ten hours of care daily.
Health insurers annually spend about 430 million crowns on dementia treatment and the total costs od tackling dementia problems are put at 1 percent of GDP a year, the CAS report says.
Last year, the government approved the national plan of measures for Alzheimer’s disease and similar diseases until 2019.
It wants to improve the patients’ access to health care and increase support for people looking after patients with dementia and for the establishment of professional centres for Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors should also be able to diagnose this disease in its early stage.
The Labour and Social Affairs Ministry has prepared an amendment to law on social services that regulates the establishment of special nursing facilities whose clients would receive both social and health care.
Number of people with dementia in selected years and expected development
Year Number
1960 49,000
1990 79,000
2005 105,000
2014 153,000
2020 183,000
2050 383,000
Source: Czech Alzheimer Society’s report on dementia
