WORLD ALZHEIMER’S DAY

21st September 2017

On the occasion of Wold Alzheimer’s Day, the students of the Rx Committee of SPPSPTM decided to spend the day of 21st October, 2017 at Justice H. K. Chenani Elder’s Home, Mulund. The volunteers received a very warm welcome at the elder’s home and even at 10.00 am in the morning, the residents greeted them with utmost excitement and cheerfulness. To make the residents comfortable and relaxed, the volunteers took turns to not just introduce themselves but also displayed the talent they had like singing or cracking jokes. And as time progressed the residents themselves joined the students in various activities. The activities were planned were not just conducted for the entertainment of the elders but to enable them detect minor symptoms related to early Alzheimer’s such as mild cognitive impairment. The games were memory games, hide and seek etc. After the fun round was over, the two student speakers explained to the elders the meaning behind each game and how they should play these games so that they remain mentally active. With the assistance of flyers and electronic devices, a presentation prepared by the volunteers was displayed to the residents of the elder’s home and the seriousness of the disease was explained to them. A one-to-one session with the elders asking them about their difficulties made the elders feel wanted and appreciated.

The volunteers also gave the residents a basket of apples, promoting the saying ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. The intention of the volunteers was to impart knowledge and make people aware about Alzheimer’s disease. The volunteers also became aware of the health conditions and the problems the elders encounter in their daily lives.