Novosibirsk gerontologists advised to meditate to fight dementia
The Novosibirsk Regional Gerontology Center is introducing new areas of work with the elderly to improve physical and psychological health as part of the Demography national project. The center's project "Garden of Active Longevity" is one of the hundred best in Russia and includes years of experience in health improvement and social rehabilitation of the elderly.The Gerontology Center was founded in 1994. Every year the number of service recipients grew, and with them the experience and competence of specialists.
"More than 650 thousand pensioners live in the Novosibirsk Region. Most of them are socially active. The quality of life of the elderly depends on many factors, but the most important ones are health and social and psychological status. Therefore, we are improving our approaches to serving the elderly and looking for new forms of work", - comments the director of the center Julia Kravchenko.
A pensioner can apply to the center by referral from the social protection authorities. The first thing he or she does is to consult a geriatrician, who assesses the state of health, and in conversation with the visitor learns about his or her interests, family status, and so on. Depending on the needs, an individual rehabilitation program may include physical therapy, massage, apparatus therapy, recovery procedures after coronavirus infection, meetings with a psychologist, neurogymnastics, group classes in music, dance, drawing, gardening, Nordic walking, as well as field trips and excursions.
One of the important areas of the center's work is the prevention of senile dementia. It includes various activities, which, according to doctors, can postpone the appearance of the first signs of the disease. These include finger gymnastics, and solving problems on memory and attention. The classes are conducted by a psychologist who also organizes meetings of the psychological club. Meditation, prevention of anxiety and depression can also prevent the onset of dementia, as chronic stress and negative emotions have a bad effect on the brain.
Visitors to the center can also learn useful skills at classes on fall prevention, proper nutrition and computer literacy. Every six months, the staff of the institution evaluates the effectiveness of the projects through questionnaires.
"At the end of 2022, 75 percent of respondents who completed a social rehabilitation course reported an increase in vitality. A quarter of respondents indicated that their mood had improved and they were more interested in life," Yulia Kravchenko added.
Last year about two and a half thousand people became the recipients of services. According to Yulia Kravchenko's estimation, tentatively, by the end of this year the number of visitors will reach about three and a half thousand people.