The meeting was moderated by Dr. Marcella Camellini (Doctor Unit of Cardiology Hospital of Sassuolo, Scientific Manager of the Health&Training Project and Coordinator of the AHA Site training), who underlined “the will, together with the speakers, to deepen this topic to achieve greater awareness of the pathology: risk reduction, diagnosis, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment and patient and caregiver support paths in our Province.”
Three professionals intervened: the Dr. Federica Ronchetti (AUSL Director of the Sassuolo Health District) with a brief introduction on the subject of dementia, functional to the reports of Dr. Andrea Fabbo (Director of the Complex Operative Structure of Geriatrics – Cognitive Disorders and Dementias of the AUSL of Modena) and Dr. Barbara Manni (Doctor specialist in geriatrics, gerontology, diseases of aging and dementia of the AUSL of Modena).
Although the pathology of dementia registers important numbers, the province of Modena and in particular the AUSL have responded with a strong attention in the management of the problem both from a health point of view and from a social point of view – so much so that by now there is talk, at national level and international, of a “Modena model”.
“There has always been strong attention in this province to the need to create a widespread territorial network for the management of people with dementia and their families – explained Dr. fabbo – with the choice of creating a Center for Cognitive Disorders (CDCD) in each District. This attention has also been achieved through good integration with the network of services, voluntary associations and the hospital, as well as through the creation of a care model based on involvement starting from the diagnosis of the general practitioner.”
The direction of the entire system is entrusted to the Cognitive Disorders and Dementia UOC, a “complex” structure which has the role of coordinating the paths and services of the provincial network for dementias. “The project as a whole – continues Fabbo – it is the result of an extraordinary collaborative effort, with tangible results of qualified assistance throughout the province of Modena.”
Is living with dementia possible, then? Yes, but quality of life depends heavily on support from family, psychosocial interventions and the community. As stated by the Dr. Manni, “The Cognitive Disorders Center becomes a collector of interventions in favor of people with dementia and their families. These interventions, offered not only by the Center but also by the Associations and Social Services, make it possible to slow down the course of the dementia disease, to maintain autonomy for as long as possible, minimize disabilities and avoid complications such as frailty or behavioral disorders. ”