The day care center for demented people: Organization, programs and evaluation methods

Summary equest of the families caring Alzheimer patients at home, a Day Care Center (DCC) was instituted in Florence (Italy), especially for demented people with disturbing behavior. The task of DCC was, therefore, to analyze, understand and work with these behavioral problems, in order to improve the well-being of the patients and to decrease the stress of the families. The realization of this task has been possible focusing our attention on (i) the creation of a homelike environment in the DCC; (ii) the promotion of simple activities enabling the patients to socialize and enjoy the company of each other; and (iii) the introduction of a continuous informal education for the staff. In the DCC, we intend to establish a research activity aimed at evaluating the effect of the treatment on the patients, the feelings of the families and the stress on the care-giving staff.