Humanitarian project “The Longevity Incentive”

1. Name of  project: The Longevity Incentive

2. Project Duration: 12 months

3. Applicant Organization Proposing the Project: State Institution “Territorial Center for Social Services of the population of the Oktyabrsky district of Vitebsk”

4. Project Objectives: Improving the quality of life and the level of social assistance by creating a rehabilitation platform for a set of measures aimed at preventing dementia in elderly citizens and working with the relatives of elderly people with dementia

5. Project Objectives:    

1. Equipping a room for classes and creating conditions for training cognitive functions.
2. Recruiting and training volunteers to work on the site.
3. Organizing workshops and seminars for relatives of elderly people with dementia.
4. Implementing modern innovative methods.
5. Raising public awareness about dementia.

6. Target group: The project is designed for еlderly citizens receiving social and rehabilitation services at the day-care center for elderly citizens in the Oktyabrsky District of Vitebsk and their relatives

7. Problem description:

According to WHO experts, due to the increase in life expectancy worldwide, the number of patients suffering from dementia will also increase in the coming decades. By 2050, the number of cases could reach 139 million. This is a global issue that requires a comprehensive approach, including both treatment and prevention. 
Loneliness, social isolation, and a lack of social engagement contribute to the development of dementia. The most important task in providing care for patients with dementia is to identify the first signs of the disease and initiate preventive measures.
In 2025, a social survey was conducted among the elderly residents of the day care center in the Oktyabrsky District of Vitebsk and their relatives: “Do you know what dementia is? Is it necessary to prevent dementia?” 
It was found that 86% of the respondents felt that they were not sufficiently informed and wanted to participate in activities aimed at preventing dementia.
However, at the moment, the department does not have a specially equipped room, and there is a shortage of specialists and volunteers who could provide information and practical support to elderly citizens and their relatives on the prevention of dementia.
This project has a social focus, and it requires funds to equip a room where work on the prevention of dementia will be organized, as well as work with the relatives of elderly people with dementia.

8. Brief description of project activities:

1. Purchase of equipment, massagers, exercise equipment, and modules to equip a room for a set of activities using modern innovative methods.
2. Attracting and training volunteers. 
3. Conducting training and information events for relatives of elderly people with dementia.
4. Organizing and conducting awareness campaigns for the general public about the importance of early diagnosis to prevent dementia, including the development, publication, and distribution of information booklets and memos

9. To implement the project, the following equipment is required:  Cube Chair, TV, Hand Massager, Duet Tactile Panel, Rainbow Tactile Cells, Wall-mounted module for wrist development exercises, movement along a slot, Mirror boards, Mechanotherapy table, Interhemispheric labyrinth set, Set of tactile panels “Figures,” Didactic wall panel, Didactic labyrinth set, Fiber optic curtain with light source, Assorted busy panels (busyboards), Massagers, massage balls and rings, Mosaic table, Magnetic whiteboard.

10. Project sustainability: The implementation of the project will allow for the further high-level implementation of a set of measures aimed at the prevention of dementia in elderly citizens and working with the relatives of elderly people with dementia. Classes will be organized as part of extracurricular activities with the involvement of volunteers and representatives of public organizations and associations. During the implementation and at the end of the project, information work will be carried out with elderly citizens on the prevention of dementia, organized work with the relatives of elderly people with dementia. The project will create an environment that promotes the prevention of dementia, provides physical and psychological comfort, stimulates memory and attention, and improves the quality of life for elderly people.

11. Total funding (US dollars): 7667,00

12. Project location:  Republic of Belarus, Vitebsk region, Vitebsk, Smolenskaya str., 9 

13. Contact person: Anna Ivanovna Sukharkova, associate Director, State Institution “Territorial Center for Social Services of the population of the Oktyabrsky district of Vitebsk”,  Phone: 8 (0212) 37 48 99, +37529 5147415, E-mail: vitebsk.okt@tcson.by