As part of the 25th Anniversary events, Fundació ACE presents the e-book Alzheimer Centre Educacional: amor i memória, an e-book that covers the 25 years of the Day Centre of this Barcelona-based entity, which has become an international benchmark in the field of dementia.
The publication includes 23 stories about the day-to-day life of the disease, from the perspective of the families who live with it and the professionals from Fundació ACE who work trying to cure it. Among the testimonies in the book, there are also some entities and personalities, who have contributed very personal writings, such as the actor and theatre director, Josep Maria Pou (Gaudí d’Honor-Miquel Porter Award 2017 from the Catalan Film Academy); or songs, such as Quiero caminar, by the Barcelona-based singer-songwriter Sílvia Álvarez, who has provided this song full of hope.
The book was presented on February 15th in an emotional event that included the participation of representatives of patients, relatives and gerontologists as well as the presence of authorities such as the former Minister of Health, Xavier Trias.
Non-pharmacological interventions: a successful program
The Alzheimer Educational Center (Ace) was founded by psychologist Lluís Tárraga and neurologist Mercè Boada, on November 25th, 1991, being the first therapeutic center in the State dedicated exclusively to the treatment of Alzheimer’s. The center’s actions are based on the Comprehensive Psychostimulation Program (PPI), consisting of a non-pharmacological intervention.
The PPI was defined to respond to the needs of professionals who care for people with dementia, based on the observation that the learning capacity of patients, despite being reduced, exists. And, therefore, it can be stimulated. The program has already proven that cognitive impairment goes through several phases, in which non-pharmacological intervention based on psychostimulation and memory exercises is possible.
25 years later, 1,600 people have been treated at the center with the PPI. Patients spend eight hours at the center, from Monday to Saturday, participating in group workshops designed to activate, recover or maintain physical, intellectual and social capacities. Located in the Les Corts neighborhood (c/ Numància, 117), this year, the center serves 85 people daily.
In the psychostimulation workshop, individual or group activities are carried out, with varying degrees of difficulty, to stimulate higher mental functions. In the psychoexpression area, patients have the opportunity to strengthen their motor skills through micro-gymnastics and games. Finally, in the occupational workshops, patients can perform manual tasks with the aim of activating memories and conversation. They can also participate in activities that take place in museums or music centers, within the framework of the Estimul’Art program.
The Foundation’s care model is endorsed by several prestigious scientific institutions, such as the University of Pittsburgh, and has been published in leading journals in the sector, such as the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
