PRONIA is taking significant strides to enhance its support for individuals with early-onset dementia and their caregivers with a new program, ‘Stronger Together’ that kicked off during a special event held at the Treacy Center in Parkville last Friday.
With a gathering of over one hundred guests, CEO Tina Douvos-Stathopoulou expressed her gratitude to the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care for funding PRONIA to develop a culturally responsive and secure care program for people with early dementia and their caregivers.
“Stronger Together will not only elevate our dementia care initiatives but also extend our services to metropolitan Melbourne and Tasmania,” Mrs Douvos-Stathopoulou said.
“We are trying to do something new and more significant on the topic of dementia because we are aware that there is a bigger issue in our community. In addition to individuals diagnosed with dementia, the program is also for their caregivers, as unfortunately, most of them do not realise that they need some assistance,” she said.
In order for the program to be widely known, Ms Douvou-Stathopoulou mentioned that efforts will focus on closer communication and collaboration with general practitioners, clinics, families, and wherever there may be individuals concerned. “We work closely with elderly clubs and women’s clubs, and we believe that this will allow us to widely communicate information about the program. We expect families who will join the program to tell us what they need and whether what we have planned is working as we imagined or if we need to make changes or adjustments according to the individual’s needs,” concluded the CEO of PRONIA.
The event commenced with an address from PRONIA’s Board of Directors President, Elpida Korosidi, who shared her experiences in volunteering with women affected by dementia.
Jacinta Allen, Dementia Australia’s State Customer Service Manager, provided statistics, outlined available services, and highlighted the partnership with PRONIA while Dionysis (Denis) Velakoulis, Professor and Clinical Director of Neuropsychiatry at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, delved into the origins of dementia, its diagnosis, and its prevalence within the community.
The ‘Stronger Together’ program was officially launched by Maria Vamvakinou MP, who highlighted the critical role of organisations like PRONIA in delivering culturally sensitive services to patients and their families within the community.
As explained to Neos Kosmos by the program coordinator for dementia support and counseling services, Lucy Lukas, “the program has already started as a pilot project a few months ago. Individuals in the early stages of dementia can engage in the day activity centers of PRONIA in four Melbourne suburbs, Balwyn, Brunswick, Clarinda, and Sunshine. With bilingual and specialised staff, the centers offer specially designed activities and entertainment, social interaction, light exercise, and healthy meals from Greek cuisine. We also do this in Hobart, Tasmania, where a group operates once a month starting from August.”
These centers offer tailored activities, socialisation opportunities, light exercise, and nutritious Greek meals, all overseen by trained and bilingual staff.
“The second part of the program provides support to caregivers of dementia patients with the aim of providing them with useful information regarding patient care and supporting them psychologically, motivating them to continue their work through in-person or telephone meetings,” the organisation’s communication and public relations manager, Dorothea Chatzopoulou told Neos Kosmos.
“In these meetings, caregivers have the opportunity to exchange views with others who are experiencing similar situations, get informed, and receive advice from healthcare professionals, take a break from their heavy schedules by having coffee and relaxing with leisure and entertainment activities.”
Meanwhile, an After-Hours hotline is available, offering free telephone advice to caregivers of individuals with dementia.
Most importantly the program is provided without any financial burden to the caregivers and patients.
For more information, interested parties can contact PRONIA at (03) 9388 9998 or email at dementiasupport@pronia.com.au
