Elderly volunteers will use cognitive stimulation apps with Alzheimer's patients with the goal of slowing the cognitive decline that comes with this type of dementia.
The ACIFAD offices in Cieza hosted the presentation of this innovative project, attended by the Councilor for Senior Citizens, Cristina García Vaso; the president of AMUVIN, Toñi Fernández; its vice president, José Antonio Barba; and the treasurer, Tomás Martínez; as well as Mª José Martínez, Business Area Director at Caixabank; and the president of ACIFAD, Filomena Villa, along with volunteers Juan Martínez and Concepción Martínez.
The Murcian Association of IT Volunteers for the Elderly (AMUVIM) and the Cieza Association of Relatives of Alzheimer's Patients (ACIFAD) will jointly carry out this project to combat this disease through the use of ICT. Specifically, two elderly volunteers, Juan Martínez Toledo and Concepción Martínez Torres, will altruistically help those affected by this degenerative process by using a tablet with cognitive stimulation programs with the goal of maintaining their abilities intact for as long as possible.
This is a local initiative included in the Senior Citizens Program of the 'la Caixa' Banking Foundation in collaboration with the Cieza City Council.
ACIFAD serves an average of 45 patients with some type of dementia, offering these therapies, complementary to drug treatment, through cognitive stimulation to slow the physical and mental deterioration of these patients.
As explained during the presentation of this experience, several studies support the importance of using programs based on new technologies in patients with early Alzheimer's disease, promoting cognitive stimulation and achieving very positive effects.
It was added that "cognitive training cannot be separated from other important aspects in the rehabilitation of people with dementia, such as motivation and emotion (Wilson, 1997). Thus, the resolution of tasks in these computer programs is associated with formal positive reinforcement from the therapist and the program, which will increase the perception of achievement and the patient's motivation (Forstmeier and Maercker, 2008), reducing the feeling of frustration (Zarit, Zarit and Reever, 1982). The activities of the cognitive stimulation program with new technologies are heterogeneous and attractive, based on a recreational-playful principle, since it has been supported that this type of activities improve the SPCD of dementia (Karlsson, Brane, Melin, Nyth and Rybo, 1988)."
The development of this project involves a further collaboration among those carried out jointly by AMUVIM and ACIFAD, who also develop an art therapy program using silk scarves.
For their part, the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation and the Cieza City Council also signed an agreement a few months ago to develop the Senior Citizens Program at the "Las Morericas" Municipal Senior Citizens Center.
This agreement encompasses all programs that include activities, workshops, and projects designed to maximize the autonomy of seniors. One of the main focuses of this agreement is the promotion of activities and projects that foster social participation and volunteering, the purpose of which is to foster the active role of seniors so that they can become and feel like protagonists in society. It also includes collaboration with other relevant organizations, such as ACIFAD, in which the center's members and users actively participate as key players.
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