Hong Kong schoolchildren get training to detect dementia in elderly relatives

Hong Kong schoolchildren have been trained to spot the signs of dementia in their elderly relatives in a novel project that organisers say could be used in other countries that lack an integrated primary care system.

By identifying people with early dementia the project aimed to help families prepare better for what is ahead, identify those in need of social support, and educate young people about the disease. The prevalence of dementia is set to rise in Hong Kong as its population ages: by 2036 one in four people in the territory will be aged 65 or older.

The project was conducted in Tai Po, a New Territories district with 300 000 inhabitants, of whom more than …