Bid to combat ‘silent epidemic’

Press, 17 December 1985, Page 18

Bid to combat ‘silent epidemic’

PA Wellington The first national meeting of support groups and societies for people who care for family members with Alzheimer’s disease, and related neurological disorders, has been held in Wellington. The meeting was organised by the Wellington branch of the Alzheimer’s Disease and related Disorders Society (ADARDS) and the Mental Health Foundation. Representatives from Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Hutt, Tauranga, Wairarapa, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Auckland and Napier, and Members of the Huntington’s Disease Association resolved to

form a New Zealand ADARDS. A four-member steering committee was formed to set up the framework of a national body for ratification at an ADARDS conference in Christchurch during October next year. The Convenor of the ADARDS steering committee, Mr Alfred Haslett, said Alzheimer’s disease had been described as the “silent epidemic” of the 1980 s, and had no known cause or cure. “It is estimated that up to 20,000 New Zealanders suffer from it, and until recently the disease has received scant attention from medical and hospital authorities,” he said.