My first experience working with Dementia : An insightful journey !

The first two weeks of this year gave me the opportunity to observe and co-facilitate the rare kind of work that Samvedna Senior Care, located in Gurgaon, India, does in its Cognitive Wellness Programme. Culturally and contextually adapted from the evidence-based (Woods, Aguirre, Spector & Orrell, 2012) Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, what I found most remarkable about it is the philosophical paradigm used by the facilitators. Indeed it provides space for the participants to engage and be mentally stimulated, which has been found to delay the progression of dementia. However, it has an even more important aim: to improve their quality of life.

This is critical as with dementia there is much known about the difficulties and sadness that can accompany the illness, not just for the patient, but also the family. It was heartening to then see and be part of a meaningful exchange with smiles, geniality and moments of being immersed in the activity at hand.

My other take-back from the experience was an appreciation for a principle of cognitive stimulation therapy, that everybody has different strengths. A person may be extremely reticent even when probed for a response but be adept at navigating the whole way to Samvedna Senior Centre from his home. The activities themselves aren’t tests to fail or pass, but ways to exercise the mind and make new connections. This fosters a nurturing, encouraging environment; one that should also be applied more commonly in learning for young students in our schools.

It was also interesting to see that while the participants may be inhibited, their unique characteristics do shine out in different ways. The psychologist described their preferences in the use of colours and patterns while painting. Over instances in my time with them, she also pointed out to me the nuances in understanding the way they may express emotions even if they are no longer able to articulate as they once did.

The recognition and validation of these different ways of relating and being human at Samvedna made it an enjoyable place to work. This empathetic quality, in my view, is what makes it work in the Cognitive Wellness Programme and also in the other geriatric related programmes and it is sincerely commendable.

Written by Tanvi Kankan, an MA Clinical Psychology student at Teachers College, Columbia University.

References
Woods, B., Aguirre, E., Spector, A. E., & Orrell, M. (2012). Cognitive stimulation to improve cognitive functioning in people with dementia. The Cochrane Library.  


Samvedna Senior Care was set up in 2013 with the aim of providing services for active ageing and dementia care in Delhi NCR.

We set up the Samvedna Senior Care Foundation in December 2016 to promote active ageing through senior centres, and events and workshops on subjects like learning smartphones, interpersonal relationships and more. We bring together dementia caregivers through a support group and have a programme for seniors with early dementia, depression or other minor cognitive impairments.

All our counsellors are psychologists or gerontologists.
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Our Active Ageing services:

Great Times Club, which is a part of the Samvedna Senior Care Foundation, is our social and recreational club in Sector 57, Gurgaon, for members 55 years and above.Its a place where members come to get fit, meet like minded people and share their life experiences and give back to the community.

Activities at the club include fitness exercises, group meditation, mind stimulation, tambola, dancing, book reviews, movies, community outreach, and talks on health management. The club has a library, computer room, visits by physiotherapists and doctors, access to board games and cards, a fully functional pantry with healthy and affordable snacks and tea and coffee on the house.

There are special discounts for group memberships. The club is open Monday-Friday, 11am to 2pm.There are special classes for yoga, smart phones, computers, spoken english, dance, music and painting. Call Great Times Club at 9818421446, 0124-4229659.

Know more here – Great Times Club

Our dementia related services:

Dementia Support Group –
Our Dementia Support group in Delhi NCR is a platform for caregivers to share feelings and support each other.
More – http://www.samvednacare.org/our-work/dementia-care
Please call us for more info – Delhi NCR – 98184 21446, 124 4229659

Cognitive Wellness Programme, Sector 57  Gurgaon  –
Samvedna’s Cognitive Wellness Programme is designed for seniors with mild cognitive impairment, early dementia or Parkinson’s, and elderly lacking in enthusiasm and motivation. The aim is to stimulate the mind of the elderly to slow the progression of the disease or impairment. The sessions are 3 days a week, 11AM-1PM.
More – http://www.samvednacare.org/our-work/cognitive-wellness-programme

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