Alzheimers Pakistan

Alzheimer’s Pakistan (Day Care Center)

VOLUNTEERS WORK DEVELOPMENT (VIS, My Experience)

Organizational Profile

· Address: House: 143-B, PCSIR Phase 02, Lahore

· info@alz.org.pk

Alzheimer’s Pakistan is the national voice of dementia in Pakistan. Established in 2000 by Mr. Hussain Jafri and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, it is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization registered under the Punjab Social Welfare Department. Inspired by the need for increasing awareness, care, and support, its founders dreamt of a society that respects and treats people with dementia with dignity and understanding. Alzheimer’s Pakistan has established the first Day Care Center for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related Dementias. Alzheimer’s Day Care Centre offers personalized, dignified care for people with mild, moderate, or severe memory loss. This Day Care Center has been established with the technical collaboration of Alzheimer’s Australia WA, which is the twin organization of Alzheimer’s Pakistan. Alzheimer’s Australia WA has not only assisted by designing the day care center but has also trained the staff working in this respite center. The Day Care Center is a good choice for people with dementia (PWD), who need care and supervision during the day. The warm, nurturing and friendly setting offers a world of activity for body, mind and spirit helping adults to remain active and involved in the world around them.

The patients who come to the Alzheimer’s Institute in Pakistan are both females and males, and the ones who actually have the disease are dementia. In this, especially the ones who are called Alzheimer’s, how is it treated? What are its symptoms? You can say that memory loss occurs, they forget things, or they start acting in the opposite direction. Because these are very big people that I have seen or observed or my experience is that they were in contact with very big professionals or had previously held these positions. And these people were not like that. They were from good families, they were educated, and they were the same researchers of their time; some were doctors, some were lawyers, some were teachers. But now you see how Alzheimer’s is tackled in Pakistan, how is it treated? First, the new person is told their case, what kind of person they are, what is their problem? There was a background and how they had to deal with it. However, Well then these are different days, one day is women’s day, that is, all the women are brought, they are dealt with, one is brought with women, okay and how is it done, each patient is given an activity according to their disease and their mood, what are the things in the activity, according to their patient, they are shown cards, different shapes are made in them, these 700 are written with their spellings, their meanings are written in English and Urdu, okay, along with that, their activities are done with crumbles, that is, memory games, puzzles are made along with puzzles, that you go, this is the picture, according to that, you have to make your own puzzles, along with a card matching box, that is, they are given games, along with games like Crumbles, Ludo, Carrom board, these kinds of games are played and along with that they are kept entertained, some of them liked them, some of them liked them, some of them liked them Their songs are sung, they are talked to, they are made to feel like they belong. Apart from this, there are many things that I will mention in the services section. Going forward, physiotherapy, which includes hand exercises, and the physiotherapists who are hired are given physiotherapy on a daily basis. At the same time, they are given tea once a day, biscuits and lunch once a day. The environment is made such that it is like a home environment. People talk to them, if they love them, they are motivated so that they return to their normal life or such a movement is created. There was a case among them. There was a doctor who was a researcher of his time and is still doing most of the research. You must have seen some of my pictures and are searching. His name is Dr. Nigma Rehan. Once upon a time, there was a neighbourhood near a Texali Gate Lahore, whose name we should mention a lot. He went there and did research on prostitutes. So many people got cured from here. Even if you are going, this is all there is and all this is free of cost without any fee. People who willingly give their tests or donations come, etc. come through them. This institution is running. Moreover, the staff there were very professional, but that means that the new people who came in, who had to interact with them or be introduced to them, they would tell them how to talk to which patient they had, how to behave, what makes a patient happy and what makes them angry, what their numbers are, or what their case is, all of this was told, or Or they used to cooperate with the newcomers/volunteers in their work at the same time.

Furthermore, the volunteers who come are students from different universities, whether they are women or men. They are made aware of dementia. Practical activities are conducted and to a large extent, these patients are being taught to talk to them, do different activities with them and help the staff in handling the patients and motivate them. First of all, these students are introduced to the disease dementia and its types so that they can become part of the Diamond or Friends campaign or Dementia Champion campaign and make others aware that if, God forbid, a case like this happens in your home, how should you face it?

Services

· Health Record

· Physiotherapy

· Daily lunch and teas

· Light physical & mental exercises

· Daily exercise and specialized activities

· Door-to-door transportation to and from the center

· Referral of people with dementia for medical services

· Weekly Memory clinic for people with dementia and their families

· Services of Psychologist for people with dementia and their families

Eligibility & Fees

The Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center is open to adults diagnosed with mild and moderate stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The center offers all its services FREE of cost. However, people who could afford to pay are encouraged to share the cost.

Family caregivers receive

· Counselling to families.

· Respite from caregiving.

· Professional advice and access to support groups and educational programs.

What Social Issues Organization is Working on, How?

During my volunteer placement, I learned that Alzheimer’s Pakistan tackles several critical social issues related to dementia. In addition, I think that the main target of this organization is health and the main sector they have chosen in this target is psychology and if we go further into psychology, then clinical psychology, which is what psychology students often do in clinical psychology, is a master’s degree. There is one thing in clinical psychology that is targeted: dementia. Dementia has been targeted, its different types and how to deal with such patients, what kind of symptoms they have. They are working for this dementia (including Alzheimer’s). Remaining, I will explain in detail all the other things I learned and observe in the context of social Issue’s prevention in the next section.

Firstly, the organization fights the widespread ignorance and stigma surrounding dementia. Many people in our society misunderstand the disease, leading to patients being marginalised. Alzheimer’s Pakistan addresses this through direct education. I participated in a “Dementia Friends Session” (Day 3), where we were trained to become “Dementia Friends” If I want to spread awareness in our own communities, then I will become a “Dementia Champion”. I created symbolic social media posts (Day 9) to educate the public online about symptoms and prevention as well.

Secondly, it addresses the severe lack of specialized care infrastructure. Families often have nowhere to turn for professional help. The organization’s solution is its first dedicated Day Care Center, which offers a safe and stimulating environment. I witnessed this through daily activities like personalized physiotherapy (Day 4), memory games like puzzles and card matching (Day 6), and recreational therapy using games like Ludo and Carrom Board.

A third major issue is the immense burden on family caregivers and there is also a pick and drop service for the patients by organization. At the same time, when they come, they are counselled through different activities and different methods through a process. They are treated and then they are given tea they are also given lunch in the afternoon.. The constant care required can lead to burnout. This organization provides crucial respite care by looking after patients during the day. Furthermore, they support families directly through weekly memory clinics and psychological counselling, empowering them with knowledge and emotional support.

Finally, they combat the social isolation and loss of dignity experienced by patients. Dementia can be a lonely experience. This center counteracts this by building a compassionate community. My main role involved this directly. By engaging in conversations, singing songs, and participating in role-play therapy (Day 11), we worked to make each patient feel seen, heard, and valued, restoring their sense of personhood.

In summary, Alzheimer’s Pakistan works holistically, using care, awareness, and support to create a more inclusive society for people with dementia and their families.

06-How Do you Plan on the Working on Issue/ Development?

(Social Action Plan — SAP)

During my volunteer experience at Alzheimer’s Pakistan, I learned how deeply dementia and Alzheimer’s disease affect individuals, their families, and the community. I realized that the lack of awareness, misconceptions about mental illness, and absence of early diagnosis create serious social challenges. Therefore, I tried to design a Social Action Plan (SAP) to continue working on this issue through awareness, education, and empathy-driven initiatives.

1. Awareness through Education

My plan is to organize awareness sessions and interactive seminars in schools, colleges, universities, and community halls to educate people about dementia (including Alzheimer) — its symptoms, stages, and ways to care for patients. This will help people recognise signs early and respond with understanding instead of stigma.

2. Digital Awareness Campaign

By using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, etc. However, I will share blogs, write stories/articles (on Medium.com), pictures, short videos, and awareness posts to spread reliable information about Alzheimer’s and dementia care. This will connect young audiences with this important social cause.

3. Volunteer Network Development

My aim is to form a small volunteer group at my university that visits old-age homes or Alzheimer’s day care centers. We will engage with patients through different activities like memory games, art therapy, and light physical exercises to promote emotional well-being and social connection.

4. Support for Caregivers

I will create easy-to-understand pamphlets or leaflets for caregivers, highlighting communication tips, stress management, and self-care techniques to improve their mental and emotional health.

5. Building a Dementia-Friendly Society

In the long term, I hope to collaborate with NGOs, healthcare professionals, and local media to promote the idea of a “Dementia-Friendly Pakistan”, where every person with dementia is treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Conclusion

Through this Social Action Plan, I intend to continue the mission of Alzheimer’s Pakistan by transforming the awareness I gained into sustainable community action. My ultimate goal is to build empathy and understanding in society so that no person living with dementia ever feels forgotten or alone.

Alzheimers

Alzheimers Disease

Dementia

https://medium.com/@musleh.saadi/alzheimers-pakistan-02cd593d5e40

[1](https://alz.org.pk/services/day-care-club/)

[2](https://www.alzint.org/member/alzheimers-pakistan/)

[3](https://alz.org.pk/day-care-center-in-lahore/)

[4](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=497969135902380&id=100070678944905&set=a.293460906353205)

[5](https://alz.org.pk/day-care-services-in-karachi/)

[6](https://www.facebook.com/Hamdardpkofficial/videos/in-pakistan-dementia-is-a-growing-problem-with-little-or-no-notice-hamdard-took-/224333091845346/)

[7](https://www.instagram.com/alzheimers_pakistan/?hl=en)

[8](https://www.considracare.pk/alzheimers-care/)

[9](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/dementia/articles/10.3389/frdem.2023.1241927/full)

[10](https://ucp.edu.pk/announcement/talk-dementia-alzheimers-alzheimers-pakistan/)