Dementia sufferers and their relatives can now dial number 1771 for support.

Launched at the St Vincent de Paul Residence yesterday, the national dementia helpline will be run by four trained nurses 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The helpline will be operated from the home for the elderly between 7am and 4pm, and the nurses will be on call during the remaining hours.

All dementia sufferers and their families can call for assistance that requires a doctor, the police, or social workers as well as for information about related services.

The helpline is one in a series of services being launched for a dementia-friendly society. Some 6,000 persons are known dementia sufferers in Malta.

If we are not proactive now, the health services could collapse as a result of dementia in future

Preparations are under way to establish dementia intervention teams composed of professionals who will visit people with dementia living within the community. Asked about the controversial idea of electronic tagging for sufferers of dementia, Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana said this was an ethical issue and the discussion about it has yet to start.

There are plans for legal provisions to enable people to register their wishes should they become dementia sufferers.

Dr Caruana said the impact of dementia in Malta should not be underestimated. Dementia, she said, was referred to as the contemporary tsunami, since it could have a huge impact on the economy.

“If we are not proactive and take action now, the health services could collapse as a result of dementia in future,” she warned.

sarah.carabott@timesofmalta.com