This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association. The association commemorated it by holding a national conference with the theme “Where to now? Providing care for Bulgaria’s elderly population.” On October 6, 2023, the event was held in front of almost 80 guests in the House of Europe in Sofia. For those who were unable to attend in person, a live broadcast was made available, and the conference recording is available on the “Alzheimer Bulgaria” YouTube channel. Unicoms, distributors of the dietary supplement Selenogin, sponsored the event.

Stanislava Tsotsomanska, chairman of the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association, started the conference, followed by Ivan Karagyozov, a person with dementia and a member of the association, who spoke about his experience with the diagnosis and the support provided by the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association. Assoc. Dr. Mihail Okoliyski, Deputy Minister of Health; Zornitsa Rusinova, Chairman of the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria; and Tsvetelina Penkova, Member of the European Parliament, also offered their congratulations on the anniversary.

Four panels covering various facets of senior care in Bulgaria were held after the official opening.

The conference’s first session focused on Bulgarian practices and European policies for the elderly. On the panel, several experts discussed their work in this field. Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe, spoke online at the conference about European policies affecting dementia patients. Dr. Ivan Dechev, Ombudsman of Republic of Bulgaria and head of “Disability Rights and Discrimination” Department, and Ralitsa Yorgova, a member of the National Economic and Social Council, were among those who spoke.

The conference’s second panel focused on providing care for people with dementia, their families, and caregivers. Representatives from the Blox private home for the elderly, Elitsa Brankova and Tsvetelina Milanova, as well as Dr. Nadezhda Todorovska, deputy general director and head of the Bulgarian Red Cross’ “Social-Operational Activities” department, shared their experiences. Dr. Zhenya Milusheva spoke on behalf of the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association about the operations of the association’s mutual help group, and Maya Marinova highlighted the organization’s efforts on non-drug therapy initiatives. Madeleine Yaneva, a representative from the National Polytechnic Museum, also took part in the panel discussion, discussing the museum’s engagement with the organization on the AIDA project.

You can watch the first two panels from the conference HERE.

We covered early diagnosis, prevention, and follow-up at the conference’s third panel. Angelina Kancheva, a Ph.D. student in precision medicine at the University of Glasgow, and Ivana Kancheva, a Ph.D. student in neurosciences and radiology at the Medical Center at the University of Leiden, volunteers at the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association, discussed a healthy lifestyle and what a dementia diagnosis entails. This section has discussed novel approaches to therapy, healthier lifestyle choices, and disease prevention. Among the presenters were Assoc. Dr. Shima Mehrabyan, a physician at Aleksandrovska Hospital’s Neurology Clinic, Dr. Ivan Kokalov from the Economic and Social Council, and Georgi Stanoilov, a representative of 5kmrun who coordinated the fifth consecutive year of the “Let’s outrun dementia together” initiative in partnership with Alzheimer’s Bulgaria.

The final and fourth section of the conference focused on the future and the application of new technology to elder care. During the panel discussion, Ivan Georgiev, an engineer and member of the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association, and Georgi Merdzhanov, a volunteer for the organization, discussed the most recent initiative of the association: the Social Store, a platform designed to assist the elderly in their pursuit of a decent life.

Link to panels 3 and 4 of the conference: HERE

The organization made a big step forward in its fight for the rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by the end of the conference. In an open letter to the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association urged the legislative and executive branches of government to develop a comprehensive national strategy and plan for the early diagnosis, follow-up, care, and support of individuals with dementia and their families. In addition to verifiable evidence of its achievement, the project must have well-defined objectives and a time schedule. 

Here are some details regarding the open letter. 

In an interview with DarikNews on the eve of the conference, Irina Ilieva, the executive secretary of the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association, provided additional information on the association’s operations and the difficulties she encounters in her line of work. Go here to read more.

We extend our gratitude to all those who took part in this unique day as speakers, listeners, organizers, and supporters of Selenogin and Unicoms. We carry on evolving.