By Ryan Pilon

Firefighters help fight dementia

Jun 24, 2011 | 6:34 AM

The Prince Albert Fire Fighters Association Local 510 donated $8,000 to help residents at the Herb Bassett Home participate in activities that help fight dementia.

It is part of an active engagement project, which will have long-term care patients engaging in activities rather than watch them.

“You and I receive 300 stimuli daily, while a resident receives typically 40 stimuli daily. If you do the math, that’s an 80 per cent reduction in stimuli,” said Donna Dalziel, the project chair for active engagement.

“Dementia is on the rise and what we’re doing now is not adequate. We must stimulate not only physically, but cognitively as well.”

Toys and games are brought in to help enhance cognitive abilities.

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The money donated by the fire union will help create a “Fire Fighter’s Sensory Station.” Dalziel said they will bring in an artist to create a fire scene.

“A building on fire or a fire truck. We’ll have benches that look like fire trucks,” said Dalziel.

“We realize that this is something that is really important, and this is something that we really want to contribute to in our community,” said Travis Haduik, president of Local 510.

“These people helped to develop Prince Albert and it’s only fair that we give back to them in their time of need.”

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rpilon@panow.com