By Regina Altena | Project Leader
February-May 2025 Report
Important dates
February 14 – Valentine's Day
March 8 – International Women's Day
March 21 – Spring Celebration
May 2 – Visit by the German Ambassador to Mexico
Social Inclusion Friday – outings to the community (parks, cafes, ice cream parlors)
Open House Thursday
Dear friends,
We send you warm greetings from the Mexican Alzheimer's Center and hope you are doing well.
We would like to report on the period from February to May 2025, which was a time of many activities with the elderly. We are working Monday through Friday in three shifts: in person at our Day Center from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and online via Zoom in the morning shift from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and in the afternoon shift from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thanks to this wide range of access to MAKS (German acronym for motor, daily living, cognitive, and social stimulation) non-pharmacological therapy, we are able to support 40 families in Mexico City and 12 states of the Mexican Republic. Thanks to the families and donors!
We continue to support caregivers and family members on this journey with training and valuable tools. The in-person workshop “Train Your Emotions” was in such high demand that we had to open another one online via Zoom. The testimonials reflect the difficult situation of caregivers in their arduous daily care tasks and the need for spaces for reflection, support, and respite. This was also the case with the training course “Learning to Care for a Person with Alzheimer's - Step by Step,” where 22 caregivers learned strategies for better understanding and acceptance of the disease. It will be repeated in two months.
On May 2, the German Ambassador to Mexico visited our Center. People with dementia, family members and caregivers, staff, associates, and the president welcomed him with an emotional celebration that was prepared with great care. After touring the day center facilities, President Regina Altena presented Ambassador Dr. Clemens von Goetze with the final report on the project, which was supported by the Embassy in 2024. She then invited him to speak and later to participate in the four stations of the MAKS model: He learned about social stimulation activities, where the theme was exchange between Mexico and Germany; motor stimulation with balance and gross motor exercises; cognitive stimulation, where he participated in memory exercises; and activities of daily living, where he observed how delicious cupcakes were made, which were then enjoyed at the gathering.
The most emotional moment was when the elderly and some family members addressed messages to the Ambassador, followed by a play entitled “La Muñeca” (The Doll), performed by the elderly themselves and warmly applauded. It was a beautiful event that touched the hearts of those in attendance!
At the end of May, we designed a new tool to help all seniors (and not-so-seniors) prevent dementia: we launched MAKS-P (=preventive). Every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. online via Zoom, people interested in MAKS exercises (of greater complexity) participate to stimulate themselves and prevent further cognitive decline. We look forward to seeing you at the sessions!
On our Social Fridays for Inclusion, we strongly promote the inclusion of people with dementia in society and in daily activities. We went with them and the staff and volunteers to the park twice. On one visit to the park, we met a young musician on the way who got the older people dancing. We went to a café and an ice cream parlor where we enjoyed not only the food, but also the discussion and exchange with passersby. The dialogue begins!
Help us deepen this much-needed dialogue to break down stigmas and provide more information about people with dementia so that they can enjoy exercising their rights and maintain their functionality and independence for longer through MAKS therapies.
Your generous donations make a difference in the quality of life of people with dementia and their families.
Thank you, thank you very much, hugs and warm regards!
Your Centro Mexicano Alzheimer Team
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