The Alzheimer's Association Larissa (EENAL), together with a large group of people with dementia, carers/supporters and employees, recently visited the monastery of Agios Antonios, which is 35 km from the city of Larissa and is distinguished for its history and museum exhibits. The purpose of the visit was the "mental empowerment" of the people with dementia, through involvement in the religious events in view of the "Holy Week" (Easter). The goal was to encourage interaction between them, with their environment, and to increase socialisation. First, the visiting group attended the pre-sanctified ceremony with religious fervour. Then, they were informed by the priest about the history of the monastery and its use in the past, as a sanatorium for the mentally ill with prayer. This provoked an interactive discussion. Questions were asked to the priest about how the patients were treated, the length of stay and the number of patients treated. Also, some of the participants recalled and told similar stories they had heard from their grandmothers. Then, they were guided by the priest to the church museum, where they were impressed by style of the icons, the relics and books from the 14th century. The visit ended with the priest gifting a copy of the icon of St Anthony and a book with the history of the monastery to EENAL, while the president of EENAL, Eleni Nifli expressed her gratitude for the hospitality and reciprocated with gifts for the needs of the monastery. The group left full of knowledge and images, both from the monastic environment, as well as the spring landscape of the route with the blossoming almond and cherry trees.
