The Alzheimer Bulgaria Association turned 20!

This year the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association celebrate 20 years since its establishment. The past two decades were dedicated to caring for the elderly and for people with dementia, improving their quality of life and that of their families and loved ones. The anniversary was celebrated by not only looking back at what has been achieved, but also by thinking about what lies ahead. That is why in honor of this occasion the Alzheimer Bulgaria Association held a national conference under the slogan “Where to now? Providing care for the aging Bulgarian population.” The conference was held on the 6th of October at the House of Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria, and was attended by Michail Okoliyski, the Bulgarian deputy minister of health, and Tsvetelina Penkova, member of the European Parliament, who extended their congratulations to the association. Experts in the field of dementia research and care shared their experience and knowledge on the topic. The conference was livestreamed and is available to watch on ABA’s Youtube channel.

The event ended with the publication of an open letter, addressed to the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, in which the association calls for the development of a comprehensive national strategy and plan for the early diagnosis, follow-up and care of people with dementia and support for their families.

Two decades after its establishment, ABA continues to grow and improve. The association is currently working on several projects aimed at improving elderly care and quality of life:

• the EMPROVE project will provide a comprehensive training course for professionals working in the field of geriatric care.
• the AIDA project aims to integrate three areas – digital technologies and different types of arts in the care of people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia – by finding innovative approaches to improve the quality of life of people with dementia.
• SAA is a gaming tool to raise knowledge against ageism and will contribute to develop empathy, tolerance and civil society skills through an interactive learning platform. SAA will contribute to restore the image of older adults as full citizens with potential to benefit their communities and remove the barriers to their social participation.

We wish them many more years of meaningful work!