By Regina Altena | Project Leader
Today, we are reporting our project activities, which we carried out from February through April 2017 in our Mexico City Day Care Center.
February: Dog therapy; Valentine’s Day
March: Birthdays celebrations
April: Easter Week; Children’s Day; XXII National Alzheimer’s Congress
Esteban RIP
As usual, the patients and family members continued their daily activities and received special stimulation therapy in our Day Care Center of Alzheimer Mexico I.A.P.
We are very excited to tell you about a new therapy we are able to offer to the persons with dementia, thanks to a great volunteer effort: Max comes once a week with his well trained dogs to offer special therapy to the patients who enjoy very much to spend time with the animals.
On February 14, we had of course a very special celebration of the Valentine’s Day. As you can see on the picture, all of us had a very special day with a lot of fun, laughter and dancing!
Our traditional birthday celebrations are taking place every month; during March, five patients shared their birthday cakes with all participants, and with their family members who came to join us during this special day. Many congratulations!
The last March and early April days were full of activities: besides the daily therapies and scheduled activities, we asked the family and community members to help us with writing supporting letters for an annual contest where we wanted to present our work. We really appreciate all the wonderful messages we received and we want to share some of them with you:
“My mom has Alzheimer’s, this silent disease that steals her little by little her memories, her enthusiasm; a little later, her functioning, and a little bit later, her life. However, until this time reaches us, I want to extend her joy, her functionality, I want to give her the opportunity to reach her goals, her dreams, and that she may reach the final point of life in the best way.
My family and I, we did not understand what happened to her; we did not know how to treat her, because we believed that partially her attitudes and behavior were not accordingly to her disease. Therefore, we tried to correct her and we were not prepared to deal well with her; we did know that we needed help, we thought that we needed help only for her, but the truth was, that we all needed help, patient and family members.
Because of our work and activities, we needed someone who could help us caring for her; first, we had a person, which accompanies her, then we tried some Day Centers, but it was not easy that they accepted her o that they cared well for her. Then we learnt, in a magic way, about Alzheimer Mexico IAP, A Hope of Life, this magnificent institution where they not only care very diligently for her, but also they do really activate her and they have done that she integrates and socialize again, struggling for delay the adverse effects of the disease. Moreover, to us, the family members, they had reached to make us understand, accept and tolerate all what Alzheimer’s means, and even when we know that there is no cure for this disease, now we stand it with dignity.
More than an institutional service, they offered us help, knowledge, and together we have created family bands with the staff as well as with the other patients and their families. This is what I value most and appreciate. Therefore, I am certain that the institution deserves the price in order that they can continue sharing their labor and love with all who need it, like us.”
During the last days of April, we presented our Day Care Model, as well as our experiences of strategic alliances with the government and our collaboration for research purposes with the National Brain Bank, during the XXII National Alzheimer’s Congress, organized by the Mexican Alzheimer’s Federation (FEDMA), which took place in Hermosillo, Sonora, in one of the Northern Border States.
On Abril 30, Mexico celebrates Children’s Day, and so did we at our Day Care Center. It was a very pleasant, delightful celebration with all the persons with dementia, who still remember very well their children time!
Finally, we have a very sad story to share with all of you: On April 27, passed our beloved Esteban away. He was a very dedicated violin player and enthusiastic dancer; we will miss him a lot, RIP.
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
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