a. Dementia prevalence and population in Taiwan Based on the results of the Dementia Epidemiological Survey (2011) conducted by TADA commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of the Interior's demographic data as of December 2021, there are an estimated 3,939,033 Taiwanese over the age of 65, including 709,577 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 300,842 people with dementia, accounting for 7.64% (3.11% had very mild dementia, and 4.52% had mild and above dementia). That is, about 1 in 13 people over the age of 65 have dementia, and about 1 in 5 people over the age of 80 have dementia.

Based on the results of this epidemiological survey, the prevalence of dementia every five years is shown below. The prevalence increases with age and tends to double every 5 years.

b. Taiwan's dementia population will continue to rise
TADA is based on the estimated data of the national total population growth in the "Population Estimates of the People's Republic of China (2020-2070)" announced by the National Development Council in August 2019, plus the prevalence of dementia every five years. It is estimated that nearly 460,000 people with dementia in 2031. At that time, there are 2 people with dementia for every 100 Taiwanese; the population with dementia exceeds 800,000 in 2051, and nearly 4 people have dementia for every 100 Taiwanese; the population with dementia exceeds 845,217 in 2070, and nearly 5 people have dementia for every 100 Taiwanese. In the next 20 years, the average number of dementia patients in Taiwan will increase by nearly 48 people per day; one person will be diagnosed with dementia by every 30 minutes.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain and impact on memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion. The most common is Alzheimer’s disease, which affects 50-60% of people with dementia. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia and fronto-temporal dementia. Dementia can also sometimes affect people who are under the age of 65. This is known as young onset dementia.

Dementia is a disease phenomenon, not normal aging. Many family members think that the patient is old-fashioned and stubborn. So, when he is old, the family members ignore the importance of seeking medical treatment, but in fact he is ill and should receive treatment.

Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, language, problem-solving that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. It isn't a specific disease, but several diseases can cause dementia.