Project builds 'cognitive friendly' neighborhoods

Seniors experiencing mental deterioration are being helped by a new treatment approach. He Qi reports from Shanghai.

A year ago, Chen, a 70-year-old in Shanghai's Daning road neighborhood, was diagnosed with vascular dementia. The condition affected Chen's ability to speak, leaving her depressed and reluctant to go out.

The situation made her husband feel helpless, so when Memory Home, a cognitive impairment community support center for seniors, opened in their district about a year ago, he took Chen to visit.

Chen, who like many seniors interviewed for this story preferred not to give her full name, quickly discovered that the center was very different from regular community groups.

"The young helpers are very patient. I feel very relaxed there," she said.

After analysis of her ailment, social workers used a psychological approach to guide Chen's behavior.

They encouraged her to leave home more often to ease the mental burden of living with her condition and stop her feeling lonely and helpless. She quickly became a frequent visitor at the center.

During group activities, Chen began to speak more and volunteered to help with activities such as cleaning, making simple meals and delivering parcels in the center.

Yuan, her husband, said she has become a different person and her emotional state has improved significantly in the past six months, along with her language ability.

Memory House is one of the first batch of pilot units for seniors with cognitive impairment initiated by the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau and promoted by the city government.

The center, which is operated by Shanghai Jinmei Elderly Care, a social aid organization, opened in October last year.

One of the first things visitors notice is that the space has been optimized for those with cognitive impairment－especially the interior lighting, which has been designed to guide the seniors and help them walk around confidently.

In addition, a signage system has been installed to prevent the confusion and anxiety that can arise as a result of the patients' weakened perception of space and time.

Taking the seniors and their families as the core element, the center provides one-stop memory health services including science-based prevention, evaluation and early intervention.

It provides training for caregivers, along with psychological support and consultations for families, and has cooperated with local communities, businesses, elderly services institutions, hospitals and supermarkets to build a "cognitive friendly" community.