Nearly half of memory disorders can be prevented

By 2040, there may be 250,000 people with memory disorders in Finland. This is roughly the population of Tampere and about 100,000 more than in 2021.

The increase raises the need for services for older people. Memory disorders impair functional capacity and are the most common reason for home care, communal living, 24-hour service housing, and informal care.

Already now, the majority of clients in services for older people have memory disorders, so a significant share of social and health care costs is spent on their care.

“Emergency visits are increasing, and in primary health care, non-specific symptoms may be examined for a long time before a memory disorder is suspected. In addition to health care, memory disorders affect the work of professionals working in other than social and health care sectors. It appears that, for example, searches for missing persons have increased,” says THL’s leading expert Teija Hammar.

“Memory disorders progress gradually and the need for services changes step by step. In the early stages, an older person manages at home, and support for memory can include medication dispensers, remote services, and home safety technology such as motion and fall sensors and stove guards. Later, more personnel, more support from relatives and more intensive services are needed,” Hammar says.

The risks are related to lifestyle factors, such as lack of physical activity and unhealthy diet

There is no curative treatment for memory disorders, but there is strong research evidence for their prevention. Up to 45 percent of memory disorders could be preventable by paying attention to lifestyle and environmental factors. Known risk factors include physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, high blood pressure, and low cognitive activity.

These can be influenced through lifestyle counselling. Healthy lifestyles support memory and reduce the risk of memory impairment.

An effective lifestyle intervention model is the Finnish FINGER model. In it, memory and functional capacity are supported through a lifestyle programme that includes dietary counselling, physical activity, cognitive training, monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors, and social interaction.

According to studies, participants’ memory and cognitive functions have improved and their functional capacity has been maintained for longer. They have had fewer hospital days and emergency visits than the control group.

The best results are achieved when lifestyle counselling is targeted at older people with an identified risk of memory disorders.

“It is important to act early in the prevention of memory disorders. A strength of the FINGER model is the identification of risk groups through risk tests carried out in health care. There are also good experiences of outreach work and client assistance,” Hammar says.

Lifestyle counselling requires collaboration

Currently, the FINGER model is used in some form in about half of the wellbeing services counties. Its implementation requires cooperation between wellbeing services counties, municipalities, and organisations. Activities can be organised in different ways.

“The coordinator may be the wellbeing services county’s senior advisory services, the municipality can be responsible for physical activity services, and a memory association can organise memory groups. This requires a shared goal and planning. It is not the responsibility of the wellbeing services county to handle everything; the role of municipalities and organisations is very important,” Hammar says.

Lifestyle counselling does not eliminate memory disorders, but it can delay their onset. Every month with preserved functional capacity improves quality of life and reduces the need for intensive services.

Older people benefit from lifestyle counselling not only through reduced risk of memory disorders but also through improved general health, functional capacity, and quality of life.

“Older people should not be seen only as users of services. The majority of older people are active individuals whose health should be supported already before problems appear,” Hammar says.