In up to 90% of cases, the care of demented persons is taken by family members, which often represents a huge psychological and financial burden for them, and it is thus urgent to find a way to expand the range of services provided to patients and their caregivers and to include them in the system of regular social protection services, emphasized the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, at the event “Dementia does not choose”, organized on the occasion of the World Alzheimer’s Day.

The goal of the event, which was held on the Republic Square, is to draw the public’s attention to the fact that the majority of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease are not included in any of the existing forms of health or social care. The organizers announced that they will submit a petition signed by more than 5,500 citizens, including numerous public figures, to the Secretariat for Social Protection of the City of Belgrade. The petition requests the establishment of a day care service for dementia sufferers in Belgrade.

The organizers of the event were the Serbian Association for Alzheimer’s Disease (SUAB) and the Red Cross of Serbia, and besides Commissioner Janković, the speakers at the event were Nadežda Satarić, President of SUAB, Nataša Todorović, from the Serbian Red Cross, Ivana Ćirković, representative of the “ACT” project, as well as representatives of Informal Support Network for Families of Dementia Sufferers and informal caregivers. A “Dance to remember” was also organized, in which older fellow citizens, members of the Historical Dance Lovers Club, along with young dancers, participated.