In order to stimulate a person, it is necessary to grab their interest. To do this, we must first take into account their likes and dislikes, get to know them as a person and listen to their life story. By discovering the idiosyncrasies of each person, we can redesign activities with a personal and attractive touch. Cognitive stimulation at Centros Amunt is done in a person-centered way, with the help of NeuronUP.
How do we work on cognitive stimulation at Centros Amunt?
Cognitive stimulation in day centers consists of working on cognition and maintaining preserved abilities. Also, all areas of the person must be included: cognitive, emotional and physical. Since they are all interconnected, it is necessary to stimulate from a holistic view.
Our team designs and updates the activity plan on a monthly basis. This is done in order to be able to offer a wide variety of exercises that adapt to the different needs of our patients. For this reason, we work in reference to three dimensions.
Cognitive area
In the cognitive activities we use different resources to work on cognition in a fun and entertaining way. For example, we put memory into practice with conventional worksheets, group workshops, theater scenes, cooking workshops, etc.
Certainly, a tool that is very useful for us are computer-based programs such as the NeuronUP platform. Also, these programs stimulate them while having fun. Likewise, new technologies are an instrument that helps us and eases the planning of activities and their organization.
Emotional area
Emotional activities can be divided mainly into two blocks. First, emotional awareness and, secondly, the enjoyment of emotion in situ.
The former are described in our activity plan as “Emotion”. These consist of working on the different emotions that we can experience. For example: desire, sadness, love, etc. Likewise, identifying, describing and experiencing them allows the expression of these emotions. Consequently, there is a liberating effect that helps both the individual and the cohesion of the group.
Similarly, there are activities that allow us to feel and remember meaningful past moments of our life history. For example, music therapy, animal-assisted therapy and intergenerational activities. Of course, feeling is a vital element for every human being, since it anchors us to life.
Physical area
Another of our fundamental pillars is physical exercise. For us, it is important to maintain good physical health by focusing on the “group gymnastics” activity. This allows us to boost circulation and increase muscle tone. It is of vital importance in reducing the fall risk and promoting physical autonomy.
As part of our physical maintenance, we also like walking around the neighborhood. In these, we stimulate both physical abilities and socialization among patients.
Cognitive stimulation in Centros Amunt with NeuronUP
Specifically, NeuronUP offers us the possibility of planning the intervention. This is achieved through sessions and programs that can be carried out in groups and/or individually. Certainly, such programs offer us the ability to establish on a monthly basis the activities we want to work on each day within the center and even at home.
In addition, thanks to the different types of cognitive stimulation activities provided by the platform, we can work on every cognitive function. This is done in a more specific way or through games and/or simulations of everyday situations.
On the other hand, it also provides us with alternative materials to enable the intervention for all of our patients. Also, for those with more advanced impairment, it has materials such as banks of images and sounds of all kinds, covering the different scenarios and situations of everyday life.
Conclusions
At Centros Amunt, we work to carry out cognitive stimulation activities focused on the person through activities such as the NeuronUP ones.
In addition, apart from the daily planned activities, we have created some relational and experiential spaces that complement the dimensions mentioned above: trips, activities with neighborhood organizations and cultural exchange with the practicum or Erasmus.
Therefore, our intention is to build a daily routine for the person, 100% adapted to him/her, where he/she can experience his/her occupational areas to the maximum through sharing, enjoying and having fun.
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