A new day centre for people suffering with dementia in Paphos will be opened by October, according to the Ithaki support association’s scientific coordinator, Eftychios Christofides.
He said on Thursday that the location of the planned centre had been identified, but that the agreement to lease the space has not yet been signed.
He added that the summer holidays had delayed the process of opening the centre somewhat, but that he is sure it will be open by October.
The new centre will run alongside Ithaki’s existing day centres in Limassol and Nicosia.
The centres provide patients with “pharmaceutical interventions”, which include specialised activities which aim to activate the mental functions of the brain such as memory, thinking, perception, and reasoning.
They are staffed by various healthcare professionals such as psychologists, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and trainers. They offer care to the dementia sufferers, as well as holding one-to-one meetings with caregivers.
As well as the day centres, Ithaki operates various lectures and seminars, as well as carrying out memory tests once a year on members of the public to be able to better identify those who present difficulties and refer them to doctors. They also hold other informative events.