A new stage in life

• April 20, 2024

In our country, more than 800 thousand people over 50 have been diagnosed with some type of mental illness, among which Alzheimer's disease stands out; However, due to the lack of infrastructure in terms of health care and geriatrics, many of these people see their quality of life even more deteriorated, reveals Teresa Villarreal, treasurer of the Mexican Alzheimer Foundation.

In this sense, according to estimates of Alzheimer's Disease International By 2050, up to 115 million people with this disease could have been diagnosed all over the world, so it is important to start planning new therapies and treatments, explains the specialist.

There are several signs that allow to identify the presence of this disease that generates dependence, which affect daily life and manifest themselves in a gradual manner, which prevents the person from taking care of themselves, including:

1. Forget names or words
2. Disorientation (they do not know where they are or are going)
3. Changes in behavior, temperament or mood.
4. They lose or keep objects where they would least think
5. Loss of gradual memory and motor skills.

An alternative that has been proven effectively in other countries to begin to resolve this situation with the elderly population, are the day centers , which promote a culture of active and healthy longevity.

In our country there are still few such centers, however, existing ones, such as Meridia , where support is provided to the elderly, with day care, especially those who require supervised care in a safe environment.

Preserving the important family bond at home, in a day center satisfies basic personal needs of older adults with different degrees of physical and mental functionality, encourages a greater level of autonomy and improvement in their psycho-affective state, having as an additional result an increase in the quality of life of their relatives.

In particular, in this day center, a unique program has been implemented in our country, called Gerocare method , which brings together the best practices of various foreign centers, focusing mainly on attention to health and well-being, cognitive stimulation, physical activation, personal development and socio-cultural participation.

The importance of an older adult attending a day center not only allows him to fight Alzheimer's disease and its progression, but this type of methods also helps to prevent the development and disability generated by other chronic degenerative diseases , in addition to improving the quality of life. For more information www.meridia.mx

Video Medicine: H.E. 37 - Beginning a New Stage in Life (April 2024).