José Barroso, professor in Neuropsychology: “It is necessary to establish a good diagnosis of the characteristics of the caregivers, their potential and their limitations to compensate for them”
Verónica Meseguer, general director of the Mayor of the Government of the Canary Islands: “Residences have become very obsolete, and it is time to work on a new model between all of society and the Administrations.”
Sabrina Pérez, ACUFADE psychologist: “Many caregivers forget to take care of themselves, causing many physical and psychological pathologies”
Nearly 100 people participated in the training sessions on Alzheimer's disease organized by the Department of Social Services, Social Action, and Senior Citizens of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Hall, in collaboration with the Government of the Canary Islands and INCAS Servicios Integrales, to mark World Alzheimer's Day . The meeting, as highlighted by the councilor for the area, Dimas Sarmiento (CC), aims to "raise awareness and help those who face, live with, and/or cope with the disease on a daily basis, focusing on the caregiver to support them and offer guidelines that improve their routine in caring for the person affected by the disease."
The Professor of Neuropsychology at the Fernando Pessoa University, José Barroso, participated in the event, who focused on the diagnosis and the establishment of objectives in the caregiver; “It is necessary to establish a good diagnosis of the characteristics of the caregivers, what their potential is and their limitations to compensate them.” The caregiver must work from a diagnosis that defines both their physical and psychological skills, through this diagnosis "we will obtain an improvement in the quality of life of caregivers who normally end up with anxious, depressive and even hopeless symptoms, because they "They see very limited and with little support." At the same time, Barroso added, “by improving their quality of life we achieve an improvement in the effectiveness of the intervention in patients.”
The General Director of Senior Citizens and Active Participation of the Government of the Canary Islands, Verónica Meseguer, also participated, defending the new models of residential and private intervention. Ella Meseguer highlighted that the trend in residences must change and evolve “to adapt them to the demands of our elderly.” Residences have become very obsolete, and it is time to work on a new model that must be defined between all sectors of society and administrations.” We should already think, the Director continued, about residences as a place for nursing care. "The elderly prefer to live at home, and if not at home, therefore we have the challenge of defining and establishing the lines to adapt the residences to the use, it is a new proposal where the elderly can have independence and socialize."
The task of citizenship focused the intervention of Sabrina Pérez, Psychologist from the Association of Caregivers, Relatives and Friends of People with Dependency, Alzheimer's and other Dependencies. Pérez highlighted that “many caregivers forget to take care of themselves,” because the very situation in which they live does not allow them, and this is causing many physical and psychological pathologies in the people they care for for a long time and with very few resources.
