Training in non-pharmacological approaches to dementia and Alzheimer

The increase in the elderly population is leading care services to reconsider their models of intervention and their practices. When taking care of older adults suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, it is fundamental to take into account not only their medical needs, but also any psycho-social dimension that has an impact on their lives and well-being (Kitwood 1997). This contribution presents the first results of an Erasmus+ EU project based on these assumptions. The project, called "SALTO – Social Action for Life Quality Training and Tools" starts by considering that the training of social workers needs to be improved in order to equip professionals with a wider range of approaches and methods to cope with Alzheimer’s and dementia. When dealing with such diseases, it is important to improve people’s quality of life, at the same time minimising the effects of behaviour-related disorders. Long-term care is the responsibility of both medical and social organisations. Elderly care is “medical” because their beneficiaries require care, whether routine or occasional, which is essential for their daily comfort; but they are also “social” because they target protection, independence, social cohesion, active citizenship and the prevention of isolation (Brune 1995, 2011; Calkins 2002; Rahman & Schnelle 2008; Shura, Siders, Dannefer 2010).