Munich highlights support for people with dementia during Bavarian Dementia Week

Munich City Council is drawing attention to its range of services for people with dementia and their families as part of the 7th Bavarian Dementia Week, which runs from 18 to 27 September. The aim is to improve the quality of life and independence of people with dementia, support their relatives, and share knowledge about prevention, early detection and care. Deputy Mayor Verena Dietl said: "A dementia-friendly city needs knowledge, networking and services that actually reach people. We are working on this continuously in Munich."

To open the week, Dr Marco Scelsi, medical director of the Neuperlach health centre at Quiddestraße 15, will give a talk entitled "Understanding dementia: a guide for everyday life" on Thursday 17 September at 4pm. Those wishing to attend are asked to register by email at [email protected] or by phone on 45350018.

The city's Health Department also runs a "Healthy in Old Age" unit, which brings together people working in health and social care, shares specialist knowledge and develops services for older Munich residents, with a particular focus on prevention. Through its THEA mobil scheme, the department funds occupational therapy home visits to help older people stay independent for as long as possible, while dental home visits run with the project provider Teamwerk serve older people and those in need of care who cannot easily get to a surgery. Both services also reach people with dementia and can ease the burden on relatives. Health Officer Beatrix Zurek said: "We know more today about how the risk of developing dementia can be influenced and how important early diagnosis and treatment are."

The department's annual Dementia Specialist Forum will take place on Wednesday 25 November from 4pm. This year it will focus on prevention and early intervention in Alzheimer's disease. The event is aimed at professionals and others who pass on information in their work, and registration is open at https://t1p.de/FachforumDemenz.

The Older People and Care division of the city's Social Services Department offers information and support on health and psychosocial care, prevention, everyday help and long-term support. The Munich Alzheimer's Society, the association wohl-BEDACHT (housing for people with dementia), the advice centres for older people and the specialist centres for family carers are available throughout the year. Social Services Officer Dorothee Schiwy said the department has long provided voluntary funding for in-house day care for people with dementia in residential care homes, and subsidises training and supervision for care teams. Further information is available at www.muenchen.de/alter-pflege.

The city's Department of Arts and Culture is also working with day and residential care homes on the "Kunst mit uns" (Art with Us) project, which enables residents with dementia to take part in cultural activities. Details are available at www.musenkuss-muenchen.de/anbieter/kunst-mit-uns, and an overview of all Bavarian Dementia Week events can be found at www.demenzwoche.bayern.de.