Joint Press Release DZNE / DAlzG
Bonn/Berlin, September 17th, 2013. The German Alzheimer Association (Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft e.V. Selbsthilfe Demenz, DAlzG) and the DZNE aim to develop joint information services for dementia patients and their families. As World Alzheimer’s Day approaches on September 21st, the two organisations have signed an agreement for cooperation.
Today, about 1.4 million people in Germany suffer from dementia and its consequences. Memory loss, lack of orientation and difficulties coping with everyday life – dementia causes tremendous upheaval not only for patients, but also for their relatives. The German Alzheimer Association (DAlzG) offers support and assistance for people with dementia and their families through its 135 local and regional member organizations. Activities include a national Alzheimer’s telephone helpline, which provides information and advice to dementia patients, relatives and anyone else interested, as well as a wide range of information brochures.
“This cooperation will enable us to combine our experience deriving from self-help activities with the scientific expertise of the DZNE,” explains Heike von Lützau-Hohlbein, first chairperson of the DAIzG. “This will provide the opportunity to network consultation services and make new insights from research more accessible to affected individuals. Ultimately we aim to improve the information and care available to people with dementia.”
The DZNE, which comprises nine research sites throughout Germany, has already been cooperating with the DAIzG’s regional association in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2012. In this framework scientists evaluate training courses for relatives of dementia patients. In doing so, the DZNE investigates how such coaching can promote and improve the home care of people with dementia.
“We have been cooperating successfully with the German Alzheimer Association on a local level in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for some time, and are glad to now expand this partnership,” says Prof. Pierluigi Nicotera, Scientific Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of the DZNE. “An important part of the mission of the DZNE is to inform the public about research findings. The German Alzheimer Association is an ideal partner for this.”
The Deutsche Alzheimer Gesellschaft e.V. Selbsthilfe Demenz (German Alzheimer Association) is a non-profit organization. As a national body currently comprising 135 regional Alzheimer’s societies, groups for relatives and state associations, it represents the interests of dementia patients and their families. It looks after national issues, publishes numerous brochures, organizes conferences and congresses, and maintains the national Alzheimer telephone helpline at 01803 – 171017 (9 cents per minute from German landlines) or direct at 030/259 37 95-14 (fixed line rates apply). www.deutsche-alzheimer.de
The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) investigates the causes of diseases of the nervous system and develops strategies for prevention, treatment and care. It is an institution within the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres with sites in Berlin, Bonn, Dresden, Göttingen, Magdeburg, Munich, Rostock/Greifswald, Tübingen and Witten. The DZNE cooperates closely with universities, their clinics and other research institutions. Physicians can call 01803 – 77 99 00 to obtain information about dementia.