By Regina Altena | Project Leader
February–May 2026 Report
Important Dates
February – Visit by the Japanese delegation; consultation on elder care
March – Visit by Channel 11’s “Learning to Age” program
April – In-person “Alzheimer’s Marathon” course; participation in the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) International Congress in Lyon, France
May – Move to the new Day Center facilities
Social Inclusion Fridays – outings in the community (parks, cafes, ice cream shops)
Open House Thursdays
Dear friends,
We at the Mexican Alzheimer’s Center send you our warmest regards and hope you are all doing very well.
This report covers the period from February to May 2026, a time marked by numerous activities carried out with older adults. We continued to operate Monday through Friday in three shifts: in-person at our Day Center from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and online via Zoom during the morning shift from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the afternoon shift from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thanks to this wide range of access to non-pharmacological MAKS therapy (from the German acronym) (= motor, activities of daily living, cognitive, and social stimulation), we are able to support 50 families in Mexico City and 12 states across Mexico. Congratulations!
Members of the Japanese delegation that visited us in February experienced this firsthand. They expressed their curiosity to learn firsthand about the implementation of our MAKS therapy and enthusiastically participated in cultural exchange activities between Mexico, Germany, and Japan. At the end of their visit, they were deeply moved by our short film “The First Last Date” and remarked that they were particularly struck by seeing the older adults so content and happy at the Center. Warm regards to Japan!
As part of the public consultations on the draft Mexico City General Development Plan 2025–2045, it was the turn of older adults. At La Utopía in Iztapalapa, the Mexican Alzheimer’s Center participated in the panel on Care for Older Adults, emphasizing the public health issue of dementia, which affects more than 250,000 older adults in Mexico City, and their families.
To empower caregivers and family members on this journey, we provide them with valuable tools, training, and professional support. The in-person course “Alzheimer’s Marathon,” held at our facilities from April 13 to 17, was very well received.
In April, President Regina Altena presented a poster at the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) Conference, which took place from April 14 to 16 in Lyon, France, and was attended by more than 1,400 delegates. Regina presented the adaptation of the MAKS model to the Latin American cultural context: activities for social stimulation, motor stimulation, cognitive stimulation, and activities of daily living were adapted not only for physical implementation at the Day Center but also for the virtual online environment. She highlighted the unique, distinctly Mexican elements: mariachi therapy and apapachotherapy!
We have new facilities! At the end of April, we moved to 118 Zempoala Street in the Narvarte neighborhood, just a few blocks from our previous location, into a beautiful house that is not only more spacious but also features unique stained-glass windows and a glass dome, creating a very warm and comforting atmosphere for the seniors we care for. We’re still setting up the spaces, including a very unique one: a multisensory stimulation room that will be very well-received.
On our “Social Fridays for Inclusion,” we promote the inclusion of people with dementia in society and in daily activities. We went with them, the staff, and the volunteers to the park, to the ice cream shop during the heatwave, and to a café near the day center. Integration is a daily issue to live!
Help us spread the word about our work to break down stigmas and get this information to people with dementia and their families so they can enjoy exercising their rights and maintain their functionality and independence for longer through MAKS therapies.
Your generous donations make a real difference in the quality of life for people with dementia and their families.
Thank you, thank you so much, thank you from the bottom of our hearts—warm hugs and best wishes!
Links:
By Regina Altena | Project Leader
By Regina Altena | Project Leader
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