Charity dinner raises 3´000 euros

The 3'000 euro cheque was raised at a charity dinner held by Mrs Robinson on September 21, and will go a long way in helping an organisation currently desperate for funding.

Alzheimer's disease affects roughly 12'000 to 13'000 people in the Balearics, with the great majority of those based in Majorca; knowledge of the disease and its effects, however, is woefully thin. Intended to teach and instruct the families of those suffering from Alzheimer's, as well as care for the inflicted themselves, the charity hopes to raise awareness of the condition, since relatives of those who show symptoms of the disease often misread them as simply senile dementia.

There is a significant difference though, says Mrs Robinson, who has been collaborating with AFAM for 17 years now. Senile dementia is often an early symptom of Alzheimer's, which goes on over a period of several years to systematically destroy memory function in the brain. As a result, in the final stages of the disease, patients forget how to perform the most simple and basic survival necessities, including eating and drinking.

Mrs Robinson pointed out the need for facilities to deal with patients; day centres where family member can leave their relative from the early morning to the late evening, and permanent residencies are all vitally important if patients in Majorca are to be looked after properly as they undergo the three debilitating stages of the disease.

Retirees from countries the world over seek sun and pleasure in Majorca, but the problems which arise if they do have Alzheimer's are almost insurmountable at present.

While Alzheimer's has no known cure, drugs are available which help patients, slowing down the process of brain degradation.
However, as seems to be the norm at present, the pharmaceutical companies who sell the drugs do so at almost extortionate prices, not allowing the average retired patient to have constant pharmaceutical aid.

Mrs Robinson announced that the next fund-raising event will be a charity music concert on October 25, held in Inca.