Description
This project aims to increase the access to basic social services for elders with mental health disorders. The problem approached mainly targets individuals with mental health problems, the caretakers and their family members. Besides a free medication and eventually a certificate of disability, people with mental health problems have no other benefits. There are no institutions with compartments specifically designed for them. Individuals are received in medical units only in situations as: medical emergencies or short hospital care (3-5 days) until the episode of disease is solved, and after that they are discharged. The project is expected to diversify the social services, and to increase awareness inside the community (local authorities and community members) about elders with mental health problems. The target groups: 50 people with different forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders - 100 elderly people (over 45 years old) predisposed to mental disorders 50 people, family members, caretakers and supporters of mental health patients.
Summary of project results
Since 1998, the promoter has been providing social and medical care services to elders, either at their home or in the Community Centre for Memory run in Piatra Neamt city. But these services are not accessible for people in rural areas. During its activity, the promoter has encountered numerous persons with memory issues, especially elderly. Despite this situation, there is a lack of specialised institutions able to provide care and rehabilitation programmes for patients with memory disorders. These patients are, usually, in the care of family members, in many cases elderly people too, with low financial possibilities and having their own health issues. The project aimed to address the needs of elderly from rural areas that are confronted with memory disorders, Alzheimer's and different kinds of dementia, their families, as well as people with ages above 45 years that need evaluation services and personalised therapies recommendation. A Memory Centre was opened in rural area and 60 patients with different forms of dementia, Alzheimer's and other memory disorders received respite care services (psychological and geriatric evaluation, occupational therapy, melo-therapy, chromo-therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, physical therapy etc.). The beneficiaries registered, as result of the treatment and the cognitive and behavioural therapies, improvements of the cognitive functions, diminishing of the depression, improvement of the social behaviour, and they regained some basic skills for the day to day activities. A number of 140 people above 45 years of age referred by their primary care physicians benefited from evaluation services and recommendations of behavioural and socio – medical therapies that can help delay the installation of acute phases of dementia. The family members of the respite care beneficiaries (60 persons) received: information and counselling on how to better understand the condition and take care of their relatives; medical and psychological evaluation; information on prevention and treatment of memory disorders, etc. This group of beneficiaries improved their level of information regarding dementia and its symptoms and acquired useful skills that will help them take care and communicate with the dementia relatives in their care, having as a direct result a visible improvement of the quality of the relationship between patients and family members.
Summary of bilateral results