Discussion group for relatives of people with dementia starts on October 17th in Café Zenja
Created: 03.10.2022, 15:00
By: Claudia Becker
From left: Arnd Walther and Anton Sedlmayr (Manfred-Funke-Hopfner-Foundation), Bianca Wallenta (Germeringer Insel), Sonja Thiele (senior care officer in the FFB district) and Stefanie Weigl (senior care counseling in the district) made up the new discussion group for caring relatives with dementia.
© Claudia Becker
County – How does it feel when your partner, mother or grandfather has dementia?
This question can probably only be answered by the next of kin, especially if they also care for the sick person at home.
In order to offer precisely these people an opportunity for mutual exchange, the Germeringer Insel, as a specialist center for caregiving relatives, will start a discussion group for all citizens of the district in cooperation with the Fürstenfeldbruck district office from October.
Every third Monday of the month, caring relatives of people with dementia should be able to meet with other affected people from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Germeringer Café Zenja to talk about their experiences - in a safe setting over a drink or dinner.
Make everyday life and togetherness easier
All of this, as emphasized by Sonja Thiele, Senior Citizens' Advisor, and Bianca Wallenta, Head of Germeringer Insel, should be easily accessible, without registration or the obligation to attend regularly.
Such a meeting is accompanied by the dementia counselor and humor therapist Markus Proske, whose fee is paid by the Manfred Funke Hopfner Foundation.
This can help to make everyday life and togetherness easier in the future by making it easier to recognize the stress factors and needs of people with dementia.
"Proske can convey such a difficult topic with ease," explains Wallenta.
After all, he was a speaker several times at the specialist day for dementia, which took place for the fifth time in July this year.
"The offer is aimed at all district citizens, not just the Germeringer"
Sonja Thiele, Senior Citizens Advisor
The discussion group should not follow a fixed structure, people can freely address topics and tell their stories.
As different as people are, the manifestation of dementia is just as different.
Each can benefit from the other.
"The offer is aimed at all district citizens, not just the people of Germeringer," explains Thiele.
When looking for a suitable place, Germeringer Insel offered itself as a partner, depending on how great the demand was, one could also think about offshoots in other communities.
It is still difficult to assess how well the offer will be accepted, the experience that those affected are often afraid to comment on the subject has also been made by Stefanie Weigl, who is the district senior adviser, in many discussions.
In order to take away this fear and shame from the relatives, the topic should be brought more and more into the public eye, Thiele has set himself this goal.
Well, with the right support, a start is made.
The discussion group starts on
October 17th
and continues on
November 21st
.
Events:
Starts on October 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Café Zenja
From November 21st every third Monday of the month
Claudia Becker