The Dementia Day Center in Larissa opened its doors in February 2021, under the act “Funding EPAPSY for the establishment of a Special Day Center for Alzheimer’s in Larisa”, which was part of the Priority Axis “Development and utilization of human resources skills – active social inclusion” of the Regional Operational Programme of Thessaly 2014-2020 and was co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). From March 2022, it operates as a standard dementia center, certified by the Hellenic Initiative Against Alzheimer’s Disease (HIAAD).

It is a half-day stay, therapy unit for patients with Alzheimer’s dementia or other similar disorders, which also provides support for their families. It offers various services, mainly focusing on the needs, experiences, and rights of the people it helps.

The Center’s interdisciplinary team consists of neurologists, neuropsychologists, a speech and language therapist, a social worker, a trainer, and a nurse, who work together to meet a wide range of needs arising from the disease, via a holistic approach. The team is community-oriented and aims in partnerships with other actors, municipalities, and services, with the goal of providing their services to everyone in need in the community. 

Our unit’s objectives

• Provision of integrated treatment and social care to patients with memory or similar cognitive disorders, as well as support for their families.
• Provision of non-pharmaceutical psychosocial interventions
• Information, training, and support of their carers
• Community awareness-raising and information activities
• Promotion of research activity

Services, actions, and programs

Memory Clinic

Patients’ cognitive functions and general functional abilities are assessed by a neurologist, a neuropsychologist and a speech and language therapist. The Center’s doctors collaborate, when necessary, with the attending physician that made the referral, in order to help him/her with medication or other treatments. In addition, the aim of the Memory Clinic is to liaison with primary health care and scientific and community agencies, in order to inform the relevant authorities and to be able to provide the Center’s services to everyone in need in the community.

Cognitive Empowerment

Cognitive empowerment aims at stabilizing or even improving the patient’s cognitive functions (memory, speech, judgment, attention, etc.). For this purpose, various activities are used, such as memory exercises, focusing on the present, training in the use of mnemonic devices (notebook, diary), relearning information (names of objects, names of familiar people), etc. Over the past few years, several cognitive enhancement programs use new technologies in a simple and accessible way, even for those who are not familiar with technology.

Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy aims at helping the patients maintain or, in some cases, regain their ability to express and understand speech. At the same time, caregivers are also trained to use strategies in order to facilitate their communication with the patient. Finally, speech and language therapy can be a preventive measure for old age, through speech and mind strengthening exercises and activities.

Psychotherapy

Based on the principles of the person-centered and cognitive-behavioral therapy, we aim to explore the connection between thoughts, behaviors and emotions, training individuals to use and apply more functional forms of thought and action.

Carers Groups

Carers can participate in individual or group psychological support or counseling programs. More specifically, the following services are provided: Information, group programs and seminars, psychoeducation and skill development, emotion management groups.

Prevention Groups

Although there is no cure and the ways of prevention are not very clear yet, in recent years, an increasing number of studies have suggested that the prevention of Alzheimer’s depends on adopting a certain lifestyle. Therefore, in our Center, Prevention Groups have been set up, aiming at the cognitive empowerment, engagement in creative activities, as well as counseling and psychological support of healthy elderly people.

Social Service

Social Service’s objective is to inform the concerned person on the use of the Center’s services, the support and counseling of the family, the connection with other agencies, the promotion of social rights, the information regarding social welfare benefits, as well as the information and awareness raising of the community.

Physical Activity

It includes activities like walking, dancing and aerobics, exercises for balance, muscle-strengthening, posture improvement, standing up, handling objects, and fall prevention, as well as group exercises. The objective is to encourage independence in daily activities (personal hygiene, dressing, eating) and to improve the patient’s physical and mental condition, and in extent their overall quality of life.

Art Therapy – Creative Activities – Positive memories recollection therapy

Activities like painting, music therapy, handicrafts, etc. can motivate the patients and help them express their emotions in a non-verbal way, improving their emotional state and enhancing their self-confidence. Positive memories recollection therapy aims at strengthening the self-esteem and the mindfulness of the person with dementia.

Volunteering

As volunteering offers significant benefits to volunteers and beneficiaries alike, the Day Center runs a Volunteer Network, through which mental health professionals and volunteers of other backgrounds can participate in the implementation of varied activities. Our main concern is that volunteering takes place in a structured framework that provides them with opportunities for training, supervision, internships.

Community actions, seminars and webinars regarding Alzheimer’s and similar cognitive disorders

The Day Center’s scientific team holds conferences and seminars and writes articles in the printed and online media in order to network and raise awareness in the community.

Research project – Supervision in internships and undergraduate/postgraduate theses and dissertations

The Day Center is actively involved in research on dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, giving its beneficiaries the opportunity to get informed and participate in various studies. At the same time, it is an official provider of positions of internships and undergraduate/postgraduate theses and dissertations for mental health professionals.

Contact Details

Address: 141 Venizelou st., Larissa, GR- 41222

Tel.: +30 2410 257478

E-mail: dcanoia@epapsy.gr, anoia.larissa@gmail.com

Scientific Coordinator: Efthimios Dardiotis 

Days and hours of operation: Mon-Wed-Fri 08:00-17:00, Tue. – Thu. 8:00 AM-20:00