The Luohu Public Health Bureau and the Luohu Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Hospital co-hosted a number of special lectures and free consultations on the elderly mental health caring throughout August and September.
Meant to educate the public on the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, experts delivered lectures and organized free diagnosis activities in local communities.
Participants said these activities significantly improved their awareness of age-related psychological problems afflicting older populations.
Experts at the Luohu Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Hospital said that mental health is a vital part of the elderly people’s well-being as well as the holistic development of families and society.
Due to the country’s rapidly aging population, changes in family structure and the confluence of various chronic diseases, mental health problems are prominent among the elderly, and the proportion of psychological issues relating to depression or anxiety among the elderly is also increasing.
Furthermore, a number of chronic diseases commensurate with aging result in cognitive functions decreasing and Alzheimer’s risks increasing among the senior citizens.
Therefore, in order to understand the current psychological status of the elderly, and improve their mental health, Luohu is actively promoting mental health care projects for its older residents.
Underpinning these efforts was a training session carried out on Sept. 30, during which psychological experts in Luohu educated project staff about common psychological problems facing elderly communities, as well as how to communicate with them, and other matters concerning the psychological screening of elderly residents.
Luohu launched a psychological care program for the elderly last year, which revealed that many of the district’s elder residents did have psychological issues. Therefore, the district is now sparing no efforts to help more elderly people treat, or outright avoid related diseases.