Dementia Society Perak, in collaboration with Universiti Kuala Lumpur (and Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak), organised a charity walk named Memory Walk recently. The event coincided with World Alzheimer’s Day.
It began at UniKL and ended at the campus itself, covering a distance of 5km. Public response was most encouraging, as over 2000 took part in the event which was flagged off by Dato’ Shahrul Zaman Yahaya, Executive Councillor for Youth, Sports, Communications and Multimedia.
“I am impressed with the huge number of participants in this year’s walk. I believe this activity not only teaches us about Dementia but helps bring us closer. The state government will continue to support such activities,” he told Ipoh Echo.
Chairperson of the Dementia Society Perak, Associate Professor Dr Esther G. Ebenezer, said that the event had helped create awareness on the seriousness of Dementia as a disease and not as a symptom of aging.
“People who are at first ignorant about the sickness are now beginning to pay attention on personal behaviours that could lead to Dementia, such as frequent forgetfulness or drastic changes in personality,” she said.
She recounted ways to prevent the disease such as exercising and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. She warned the public not to take minor strokes, should they happen, lightly, as they could lead to Dementia if left untreated.
Free health checks were given for participants wishing to know their body conditions and whether they were at risk of contracting the disease.
Yvette
