The neighbors of Arona Those who suffer from Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia will receive a physiotherapy service at home in addition to the cognitive stimulation service that was already being provided, all thanks to a program from the Senior Citizens Department of the Arona City Council, directed by Councilor Ruth Lorenzo , and which has been signed with the Association of Relatives and Caregivers of Alzheimer’s and other Dementia Patients (Afate).
With the aim of promoting the personal autonomy of patients at home, the agreement also covers family members, who will receive training and workshops to guide them in their care tasks.
Data from the Canary Institute of Statistics (Istac) indicate that in Arona there are more than 9,300 people over 65 and 739 over 85. According to prevalence figures, the risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s is 7% for those over 65 years and 50% for those over 85 years of age. This, added to the lengthening of life expectancy, gives an idea of the importance of a program of these characteristics.
It must be taken into account that Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that produces an increasing dependence on the affected person, which also affects the mobility of these people. Hence the need for a physiotherapy service.
The total amount of the subsidy to provide this service is almost 80,000 euros.
José Julián Mena: “Support for the needs of dozens of families”
The mayor of AronaJosé Julián Mena, has underlined the importance of “serving dozens of families in the municipality who are faced with the need to deal with a disease such as Alzheimer’s and who can have the support of their town hall, with a home service of character comprehensive, which not only addresses cognitive but also physical stimulation, as well as the wear and tear it entails for the families, usually women, who take care of the patients”.
Ruth Lorenzo: “Search for the personal autonomy of patients”
The Councilor for the Senior Citizens Department stressed that “this is a service that has benefited more than fifty patients and about 150 relatives, who have received training on Alzheimer’s and other dementias thanks to more than forty workshops. What she does now – she added – is to improve the agreement and also attend to the physiotherapy needs of the patients, a key step in the search for their personal autonomy”.
