The Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation organises the first regatta for Alzheimer's disease
The Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation organises, together with the Veles per l'Alzheimer Association, the 1st Regatta for Alzheimer's, which took place today, Wednesday March 22nd in the morning. A hundred people went sailing along Barcelona's coast, including participants and family members from the Foundation's Memory and Health Reinforcement and Simulation Programme, professionals from the programme and patrons of the entity.
This regatta is the first to take place worldwide in which participants are people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation is a pioneer in encouraging people with mild and moderate cognitive impairment to continue carrying out meaningful activities on their own. The Memory and Health Reinforcement and Simulation Programme (REMS by its abbreviation in Catalan), hopes to maintain the capabilities of older people for as long as possible by prioritising their autonomy and emotional well-being.
The boat race included 15 sailboats, among which two 18-metre sailboats stand out that have travelled around the world: Imoca Escola and Mundus, which have participated in the Vendée Globe, the most important solo circumnavigation in the world. Apart from these boats, there are others that have participated in ocean regattas. 80 people with Alzheimer's who have reduced mobility have gone out on a swallow to be able to follow the regatta of their companions.
During the event, Marta Lacambra, Director-General of the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation, assured that the Foundation's objective is to ensure that as many people as possible can age with dignity. “Since the start of the Memory and Health Reinforcement and Stimulation Programme, REMS, 10 years ago, we have wanted people with the onset of cognitive impairment to achieve well-being and quality of life through activities such as cultural outings or those in nature. With Veles per l'Alzheimer, we were able to see just how positive these activities really are, and we were so encouraged that we set ourselves the challenge of holding this first regatta at a global level, where the protagonists are the impaired people themselves.”
The Foundation's relationship with Veles per l'Alzheimer began in 2022 and since then more than 25 therapeutic activities have been carried out, with the participation of more than 500 people, such as a visit to the Maritime Museum and the Barcelona Aquarium, a visit to the fishermen's market, sailing, etc.
