Current State of the Project
After twelve years’ work, when the Queen Sofia Foundation’s Alzheimer Centre was built and transferred to the Public Health and Social System, the Foundation is mainly focused on promoting and financing research on Alzheimer’s Disease, both in the Centre’s Research Unit and by endowing grants for postgraduates and financing new projects in Spain.
At present the Foundation is also starting joint projects with several Associations, Town Councils and Autonomous Governments which will replicate the basic elements of the Alzheimer project. It is also working with various foreign organizations and institutions, mainly in Latin America.
The Foundation’s work is focused on four reference areas:
Socio-Sanitary Area:
Prestigious professionals have collaborated in this area, either with the architectural design of the residences and day centres, or as medical doctors and psychologists, as well as associations of relatives of Alzheimer patients and the ONCE Foundation (Spanish National Organization for the Blind) in the study and application of accessibility regulations. We also work with IMSERSO (Institute for Senior Citizens and Social Services),where at present an ongoing project at their Salamanca Reference Centre is being developed by the Salamanca University General Foundation.
Research Area:
This key section of the Alzheimer Project is being led by the Carlos III Institute, through a large team of doctors and researchers who have contributed their valuable opinions to the design of the Centre’s structure and contents. Nowadays it has joined forces with the CIEN Foundation and CIBERNED to become the forefront Spanish research team on Alzheimer’s Disease.
Training Area:
It includes experts from the Ministry of Health, IMSERSO, the Madrid Autonomous Government and Associations of Relatives of Alzheimer’s Patients currently active in Spain. The Centre trains nursing staff, patients’ relatives and volunteers, adding home care to complete the whole care network, defined as live-in Residence, Day Centre and support to families in the patient’s home.
Equipment and Support Area:
It gathers ideas and suggestions about the Centre’s equipments and resources, on the basis of using modern, practical and functional means, such as geriatric baths, rehabilitation material, domotics, etc.
The Centre of Technical Aids for the Disabled of the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs (CEAPAT), the Madrid Autonomous Government, AFAL, ONCE and other public and private institutions have collaborated in this area. At present the Foundation is developing, together with the IMSERSO’s Alzheimer Reference Centre in Salamanca, a project called “Quality of Life Unit”, which studies several aspects of the day-to-day life of an Alzheimer patient.