Alzheimer’s South Africa

Alzheimers sa

Alzheimer’s SA NPC is dedicated to providing support for families and individuals and strives to advocate on their behalf, to improve the quality of life of people with Alzheimer’s/dementia and their carers.

Alzheimer’s SA was founded in 1985 as a non-profit organisation managed by a national executive council. The organisation was registered as a non-profit company in October 2016 managed by a board of directors. Alzheimer’s SA NPC is the South African representative of Alzheimer’s Disease International and is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with dementia and those affected by it. For Alzheimer’s associations in other countries, please see http://www.alz.co.uk/help/associations.html.

For information you are unable to find on this website, please email info@alzheimers.org.za or phone the national helpline, which will cost you the same as a local call regardless of where you are in South Africa: 0860 102 681.

The counsellors on duty are volunteers (weekday mornings, after 09h00) can lend an ear, post you information and newsletters or provide contact information of specialists, carers, homes, therapists etc.

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is a collective name for conditions in which progressive degeneration of the brain affects memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion.While the risk of developing dementia increases dramatically with age, most older people do not develop the condition. It is not an inevitable consequence of getting older. Just one in five people in their eighties, for example, are affected by it. Symptoms may include:

loss of memory
difficulty in finding the right words or understanding what people are saying
difficulty in performing previously routine tasks
personality and mood changes

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. It knows no social, economic, ethnic or geographical boundaries. Although individuals experience dementia in their own way, eventually those affected are unable to care for themselves and need help with all aspects of daily life. There is currently no cure.

Contact Us

To comment, get information not available on this website, or to request a copy of our newsletter, booklets or posters, please email info@alzheimers.org.za