Support First Adult Day Care Center in Honduras

We are happy to report that the Center is now open, providing care from 1:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday.  Thus far, three ladies attend, two of them with established dementia symptoms.  Two additional clients were determined to have needs greater than what the Day Center could provide and no longer use the service.  At this point, the Honduran Alzheimer’s Association and Manos Amigas (Friendly Hands), which is the name of the non-for-profit organization running the center, are still working on the partnership agreement and determining what purchases need to be made to better support clients.  The first acquisitions will most likely be walkers and wheelchairs.     

 In the upcoming months, we will work on publicizing the existence of the Day Care Center to family doctors, internists and the general public, as the present clients have been referred by specialists.  Our goal is to provide care to at least 10 people living with dementia by the end of May.  Ideally, the center will begin providing full-time daily care as the number of clients increase.  Extended hours and a bigger population means more families will find some relief from caregiving and their family member with dementia more social stimulation.

Thank you for your continued interest and support!

We are very pleased to report that we have found a possible site for the Adult Day Care! Currently, the Executive Board is in negotiations to partner with a local Honduran couple who have decided to convert a spacious house they own and which is adjacent to their residence, into a day center.  Originally, they planned to focus on older adults with any kind of ailment but have reconsidered in light of the Association’s desire to open a day center dedicated to caring for persons with dementia. The house is ideal, as all spaces are on one floor.  There are several large common spaces for group activities, three bedrooms for private therapy and resting, three bathrooms, a kitchen and a secure outside patio.  Also, the house is in a safe area of Tegucigalpa.  Please see the photos attached to this report.  Yesterday, we held a joint meeting to determine expectations of each party, and a commission was formed by the Association’s president to author a document delineating the relationship.  Many details are still pending, but as soon as we have the green light, our volunteer functional therapist (a combination of Occupational and Physical therapy) will make suggestions for the few modifications to the space that have already been anticipated, such as lighting issues, bathroom supports and ramps.  Also, the search will begin for a qualified nurse and aides to staff the center.  One of the Association’s responsibilities will be to provide training in dementia care to these staff members.  The idea is to start small, with no more than 10 participants, and to grow from there. We still have lots of work to do, but we are excited to finally be on our way!  Thank you for your support!!