Alzheimer Slovenia (Spominčica) is successfully continuing with its successful series of online Alzheimer Cafés, where different professionals provide much-needed information to carers, family members and other professionals.
At the February 2021 Alzheimer Café, professionals from the Neurology Clinic Ljubljana together with professionals from nursing homes, expressed their concerns about observed deterioration in the cognitive abilities of older people, with or without a diagnosis of dementia during the pandemic. The largest Slovenian newspaper, "Delo" published a large article about the online Alzheimer Cafés, organised by Spominčica.
Maintaining an active and meaningful life is one of the key factors for maintaining quality of life, for people with dementia. During COVID-19, when everyone is facing significant changes in their daily routines, it is important to raise awareness among the public, about recognising the first signs of dementia and also how to maintain as active and as independent a life as possible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when people are mostly concerned about infection prevention measures, it is also important to pay attention to cognitive health. In case someone perceives changes in their own cognitive abilities that affect their daily life, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible. It is true that access to doctors is more difficult, but there are still many other options to talk to a specialist who can help people access information about dementia and symptoms.
To facilitate the accessibility to this vital information, Spominčica has strengthened its counselling service, using external professionals from various fields (neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, lawyers), all of whom have many years of experience working with people with dementia.
To help reduce the effects of social isolation, Spominčica's trained volunteers maintain regular contact with people with dementia. Spominčica also continues to hold weekly meetings online with carers and people with dementia, and provides a helpline and a variety of activities via online workshops.
"It is very good to talk to people with dementia, share memories, keep in touch, and also help relatives with advice and knowledge." concluded Štefanija L. Zlobec, president of Spominčica.
