Artículos de revistas
Dementia caregiving across Latin America and the Caribbean and brain health diplomacy
Fecha
2021Registro en:
Lancet Healthy Longev 2021; 2: e222–31
2666-7568
Autor
Ibáñez, Agustín
Pina Escudero, Stefanie Danielle
Possin, Katherine L.
Quiroz, Yakeel T.
Aguzzoli Peres, Fernando
Slachevsky Chonchol, Andrea María
Sosa, Ana Luisa
Brucki, Sonia M. D.
Miller, Bruce L
Institución
Resumen
The prevalence of dementia in Latin America and the Caribbean is growing rapidly, increasing the burden placed on
caregivers. Exacerbated by fragile health-care systems, unstable economies, and extensive inequalities, caregiver burden
in this region is among the highest in the world. We reviewed the major challenges to caregiving in Latin America and
the Caribbean, and we propose regional and coordinated actions to drive future change. Current challenges include the
scarcity of formal long-term care, socioeconomic and social determinants of health disparities, gender-biased burdens,
growing dementia prevalence, and the effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic on families affected by dementia.
Firstly, we propose local and regional short-term strategic recommendations, including systematic identification of
specific caregiver needs, testing of evidence-based local interventions, contextual adaptation of strategies to different
settings and cultures, countering gender bias, strengthening community support, provision of basic technology, and
better use of available information and communications technology. Additionally, we propose brain health diplomacy
(ie, global actions aimed to overcome the systemic challenges to brain health by bridging disciplines and sectors) and
convergence science as frameworks for long-term coordinated responses, integrating tools, knowledge, and strategies to
expand access to digital technology and develop collaborative models of care. Addressing the vast inequalities in
dementia caregiving across Latin America and the Caribbean requires innovative, evidence-based solutions coordinated
with the strengthening of public policies.