Persons aged 60 and above currently comprise 8% of the country’s population of 80 million and more than 700,000 seniors at present are suffering from Alzheimer’s, said Farid Barati Sadeh, head of the State Welfare Organization’s Secretariat of National Council on Older People. He urged non-governmental organizations “to play an effective role in promoting a culture that supports the elderly,” Alef News Agency quoted him as saying.
Demographic changes have been rapid and the pertinent organizations have failed to keep pace in addressing challenges related to senior citizens, he noted. Stating that only 5,000 patients suffering from Alzheimer’s are covered by Iran Alzheimer’s Association, he said they are mostly from Tehran and services to patients in other cities are simply inadequate.
