App to detect early dementia raises hopes of better care for Hongkongers
- Chinese University team has developed a five-minute online test for people suspected to be suffering from dementia
- Professor Timothy Kwok says app will enable patients to learn about their condition early and receive relevant care
When Kay Ho found bags of red dates and longans piling in the refrigerator at her mother’s place two years ago, she realised her mother was becoming forgetful.
The 44-year-old said her mother, now 70, who was diagnosed with early-stage dementia, kept buying things only to forget about them. Then she started forgetting the way home in Sha Tin, where she lived with her husband. Once, when her husband was travelling, she repeatedly asked for his whereabouts every day.
Ho said her mother’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and the family was at a loss about where to seek help. Hong Kong facilities qualified to provide dementia diagnosis and care were overwhelmed with patients, and her mother refused to visit a doctor, as she thought it was too shameful.
“I felt so frustrated and helpless,” she said.
Dementia generally occurs among people over 65, and the risk increases with age. There is currently no cure for it.
