ERS marks World Alzheimer’s Month

This month marks World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, with the event providing Elderly Residential Services the opportunity to showcase the hard work in dementia care that is carried out throughout the year through events and awareness.

Ensuring a good quality of life is a key part of the role within ERS which is supported by on-going staff training and development.

A continual activities program for residents is provided throughout the year, this focuses on cognitive and reminiscence therapies and involves inclusive failure-free activities which ensures that those living with dementia have social interactions within ERS and the community.

ERS has contributed to the awareness programme during this month by organisating different activities aimed to increase the awareness of Dementia among residents, staff and visitors.

Along with this, a purple net of poppies has been newly created by the residents during the lockdown and will be displayed in the entrance foyer of Mount Alvernia.

Like every year, the activities during the month of September have been focused on dementia awareness.
Residents have taken part in arts and crafts activities, and their creations have been available at the Gibraltar Alzheimer's and Dementia Society awareness event opposite the Cathedral last Saturday with the objective to help GADs raise donations.

The ERS activities department has prepared several lunch parties in the activities area at Mount Alvernia, which has been decorated as an old-fashioned restaurant reminiscent of the old Gibraltarian bakery ‘La Predilecta’.

Residents from all floors have taken part in this activity, to facilitate social inclusion of those with dementia.
In view of the cancellation of the Gibraltar Fair, the activities department had the idea of bringing a fair style event to the residents at ERS.

A ‘Living well with Dementia Fun Fair’ has been organised by the staff at Mount Alvernia, with different games and stalls for the residents to take part in.

On September 21, ERS organised a Memory Walk in their newly created sensory garden at Mount Alvernia. This was followed by a high tea party to celebrate the World Alzheimer’s Day.

Towards the end of the day, Mount Alvernia was lit purple, the dementia colour, in honour and support of all those living with dementia.

A ‘See the person’ Velada, which included an ink and drink theme, also took place in the evening in the nicely lit garden, on the last days of the month, to close the events and activities organised for the dementia awareness month.

Hillsides and John Mackintosh Home have also organised dementia themed activities, including reminiscence activities based on Gibraltar’s History, dementia parties and high teas.

“Our Elderly Residential Services undertake a tremendous job in looking after all residents and are all trained to work with residents with dementia which they do with great care and attention,” the Minister for Health and Care Samantha Sacramento said.

“They have gone over and above in creating awareness during the month of September this year and have had the greatest awareness programme to date.”

“The beauty about the programme is that it involves the residents with dementia as they are very much at the centre.”

“I would to thank everyone involved for their tremendous hard work and making this year’s awareness such a success.”