Malta’s strategic vision for a national dementia policy

Abstract

Malta is experiencing a demographic transition characterised by an increase in the old age population. While this may indicate social success, it creates important challenges such as the inevitable rise in age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including the most common forms of dementia. This will pose significant societal demands as most dementia care is provided informally by family members living in the community. Furthermore, local research studies have shown that there is considerable lack of awareness and professional training that is seriously undermining timely diagnosis and management. As a result, Malta opted to take a holistic approach towards dementia care by embarking on a long-term strategy focusing on increasing awareness, providing the best services leading to high quality dementia care, and fostering dementia training to healthcare professionals in order to be better equipped to support individuals with dementia. It is a vision that promotes excellence, and effectively reflects the current and future needs of these individuals, their relatives and caregivers.