Alzheimer Mexico - Learn and Act

During this period from May through July, the persons we take care of in our Day Care Center of Alzheimer Mexico I.A.P. continued their daily activities and received special stimulation therapy.

One of our therapies is about using arts in dementia patients; we use music, painting, theatre performances, or dancing, as you can see in the picture where two of the old women who suffer from dementia were painting Frida Kahlo, famous Mexican painter.

In addition, you can see the ceremony where another old man gets ‘married’ to one of the post graduated nursery students during their charity fair they organized for them.

The nursery and psychology students prepare special activities for the dementia patients in order to stimulate their remaining skills. There is a special need for exercising perceptions as you can see in the picture that shows a blindfolded woman walking over different textures with the support and supervision of the students.

Alzheimer Mexico IAP welcomes each year students from 15 educational centers, such like the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the State University of Valle de Ecatepec, the Technological University of Valle de Chalco, the Mexico City University, the Ibero American University, the La Salle University or the Nursery School at Hospital de Jesús, among others. Those students spend three weeks, three months or one year with us – the time depends on their career plan- in order to get familiar, dealing with dementia patients or applying special exercises or therapies. We are very happy that we can also welcome high school students who are dedicating community services to the elder people with dementia. If students learn from the very beginning to be solidary with the elder people, we are contributing to have them face their own growing process. We let them learn also how to interact empathically with the elders, how to raise awareness about the fact that dementia is an illness that requires treatment, and about the fact that losing things or experiencing memory problems is not normal for elder persons.

On May 10, we celebrate Mother’s Day in Mexico, and of course, we did so in our Day Care Center. A dancing group, called “Young Dancing Group of the Third Age” performed regional dances delighting patients, family members and staff. Next to the Mother’s Day, the TV channel team from TV Azteca visited our Center. Their team brought some actors and dancers, as well as gifts and a huge cake for the mothers. It was a very pleasant celebration; thanks to the TV team!

The last days of June we received the visit from the Mexican Federation of Alzheimer's (FEDMA). Several board members and the chair of the board participated with us in a strategic planning process and learned about our Center.

On July 16, we carried out another public event of Alzheimer Learn and Act in the Coyoacán Delegation. As we were in a very popular place in Coyoacan, we had many people joining our activities or stepping by. More than 600 persons learned during the journey how to deal with dementia patients or what is happening in the brain of a person with dementia, as the colleagues from the National Brain Bank explained to the visitors during the brain exhibition. Our next public events will take place in September in Tlalpan, October in Benito Juárez and late November in Gustavo A. Madero.

Please save the date: Sunday, November 6, 2016, we will carry out our huge event on the Zócalo (Main Square) of Mexico City! I hope that we will meet there!

Please do not forget to tune into our weekly radio program on internet Alzheimer Aprende y Actúa, every Tuesday from 13 to 14 hours (Mexico City time) on www.radioapyt.com