In spirit of Alzheimer’s month, an International Training Course for Certified Memory Trainers was organized by the Department of Social Work, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli in south India, in association with EURAG Memory Training Center, Prague, the Czech Society for Memory Training and Brain Jogging and Heritage Foundation. Prof. Ilango Ponnuswami, Dean of Arts, Bharathidasan University who is also an alumnus of INIA and the University of Malta, along with his colleague Mr. N. Rajavel coordinated this week long course. Ms.Dana Steinova, Head, Czech Society for Memory Training and Brain Jogging, Prague and Prof. Pavel Kalvach, M.D, Professor of Neurology, Charles University, Prague were the master trainers during this programme.
This training emerged from the need to train the elderly in simple memory techniques like mnemonics, acrostic and legends for remembering names, numbers, dates and days. It comes with no surprise that India, as one of the rapidly ageing societies in the developing world and emerging economic super power which is confronted with the enormous challenges of offering care for the huge population of older persons coupled with an abysmal lack of trained geriatric manpower, requires certified memory trainers.
Participants were trained in specific memory techniques like mnemonics, techniques for improvement of spacial orientation and very interesting and stimulating exercises for the less dominant hemisphere of brain. The participants acquired skills required for training elderly and other target groups. The course content included Prof. Pavel Kalvach’s presentation on the structure and functioning of human brain adding value to the overall training course.