Good news regarding the Bavarian Dementia Week, running from September 17th to 26th: The Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists (BLAK) is supporting the project „Digital Dementia Register Bavaria“ (digiDEM Bavaria). The dementia research project aims to improve the living conditions of people with dementia and their relatives. The collaboration with the „Dementia-Friendly Pharmacy“ network will breathe life into this initiative.
„Our dementia-friendly pharmacies have established themselves and proven to be a low-threshold support service for those affected and their relatives in their local areas – now in 15 cities and 18 districts in the Free State,“ says Cynthia Milz, BLAK board member and spokesperson for the Directorate of the Scientific Institute for Prevention in Healthcare (WIPIG) at BLAK. „We are very happy to be on board with digiDEM because this project also helps to improve life with dementia in Bavaria.“
Supporter light and other services
digiDEM Bayern is building a digital dementia registry for Bavaria to better understand the long-term progression of the disease and to gain an overview of the available services. To achieve this, people with mild cognitive impairments or dementia, along with their caregivers, are currently being systematically interviewed about their situation. Furthermore, digiDEM Bayern provides online services to support daily life. For instance, since January 2021, the „Caregiver Traffic Light“ has been available: a free, anonymous self-test that indicates the level of personal burden for caregivers through targeted questions, thereby providing an impetus for them to change their life situation. In the future, employees in dementia-friendly pharmacies will be able to specifically point out such services.
Goal: Gain comprehensive knowledge of the supply situation
„We are very pleased to be working with BLAK,“ explains neurologist and health services researcher Prof. Peter Kolominsky-Rabas, Head of the Center for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Public Health at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and one of the project leaders of digiDEM Bayern. „Our goal is to gain as comprehensive a knowledge as possible about the local care situation. As a trusted contact for those affected, the dementia-friendly pharmacies are a crucial pillar for us in the digiDEM Bayern project, especially in rural regions of Bavaria.“
About digiDEM Bavaria
Currently, over 240,000 people in Bavaria are living with dementia, and this number is expected to rise to 300,000 by 2030. The future care of those affected presents one of society's greatest challenges. digiDEM Bavaria, a project by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital Erlangen, and Medical Valley EMN e.V., is meeting this challenge with digital solutions. The project is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care. You can find more information on our website.
Dementia-friendly pharmacy
The ‚Dementia-Friendly Pharmacy‘ project was launched in 2014 on the initiative of the Pharmaceutical Care Quality Circle Augsburg of the Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists and the Alzheimer's Association Augsburg. Information, materials, and background on the network can be found at WIPIG-Website.
WIPIG
In 2007, the Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists established the Scientific Institute for Prevention in Healthcare (WIPIG) as an institute dedicated to promoting the concept of prevention and developing prevention strategies. The intended increase in knowledge in the field of prevention is intended to be made available in the public interest equally to the pharmaceutical profession and to other stakeholders in the healthcare system. Further information can be found on the WIPIG-Website.
Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists The Bavarian State Chamber of Pharmacists (BLAK) represents more than 15,000 pharmacists throughout Bavaria. Our members primarily work in community pharmacies, hospitals, industry, as well as in science and research. Our members also include pharmacists who are not actively practicing. We are a public corporation and an organ of self-governance for our profession. We serve as a point of contact for our members, as well as for authorities and courts, on all pharmaceutical and legal questions concerning the profession, particularly drug and pharmacy law.
Press Contact:
digiDEM Bavaria Press & Communications
Phone: 09131 – 85 35858
