Around 8% of Taiwan's seniors suffer from dementia: ministry

Taipei, March 21 (CNA) The prevalence of dementia among individuals aged 65 and over in Taiwan is about 7.99 percent, equivalent to about 350,000 people, according to a national survey conducted by the National Health Research Institutes published Thursday.

The survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), showed that Alzheimer's disease accounted for 56.88 percent of cases, vascular dementia 22.91 percent and Parkinson disease dementia 7.12 percent, Wu Hsi-wen (吳希文), an official in the ministry's Department of Long-Term Care, said in an interview the same day.

Prevalence was also associated with age and gender. Overall, prevalence rates among women were 9.36 percent and 6.35 percent among men, Wu said.

Wu said the survey looked into behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) for the first time. About 66 percent of people with dementia displayed BPSD, with the top five symptoms being depression and negative symptoms (33.37%), irregular or reversed daily routines (32.94%), fear or anxiety (27.75%), repetitive movements (25.43%) and paranoia (21.19%).

Negative symptoms refer to mental behavioral abnormalities including social withdrawal, emotional withdrawal, disinterest in daily life, and a monotonous tone when speaking, Wu explained.

This was also the first time the survey linked results with information from the National Health Insurance Administration, said Wu.

Emergency care frequency, risk of hospitalization, number of medical visits, and annual medical fees were all higher in those with dementia, the survey found. People with dementia were treated in emergency rooms almost twice as many times per year, and their average annual medical fees amounted to NT$533,000 (US$16,721), higher than NT$319,000 of those without dementia, Wu said.

As Taiwan will soon become a super-aged society, with 20 percent of its population aged 65 and over, the plan is to conduct such surveys once every five years, said Wu.

According to the National Development Council's estimates, about 470,000 people will have dementia in 2031 and 680,000 in 2041.

The Long-Term Care Department's news release said that the survey was conducted between 2020-2023, with stratified multistage sampling for the 22 cities and counties in Taiwan. An interviewer then visited the sampled people at their homes to identify those with dementia via a questionnaire. They were later visited by a doctor and a clinical assessment conducted to determine whether they had dementia.