PRESERVA: addiction treatment programme for prematurely aged patients at the Can Coll Therapeutic Community

The PRESERVA programme of Fundación Salud y Comunidad (FSC) responds to the phenomenon based on the concept of Ageism, which involves taking into account people’s ageing and the adaptive support processes needed to preserve, maintain and enhance a quality lifestyle at every chronological stage of life.

The Can Coll Therapeutic Community (CT), as a result of the latest studies on the ageing addicted population and its specific needs, has developed and implemented, with the support of the Departament de Drets Socials of the Generalitat de Catalunya through the ordinary call for grants for 2024 (CONVO’24), an experimental therapeutic care project consisting of:

• Initial design and construction, at the Can Coll CT, of an age-sensitive care programme for prematurely aged patients.
• Specific diagnostic tools (cognitive screening).
• Adapted intervention modalities (neuropsychological rehabilitation, specific therapy groups, family therapy, etc.)

The Programme is aimed at people over 50 undergoing treatment at the Therapeutic Community (CT), although the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction notes that premature ageing begins from the age of 45. This programme involves a small group of participants, guided by a social educator, and focuses on the detection, diagnosis and recovery of impaired cognitive functions. It also addresses other age-related aspects of life, such as work, family, social and leisure expectations, as well as autonomy, comprehension, attention and memory. The programme also offers skills training and cognitive stimulation, both individually, with the support of a psychiatrist, key psychologists and the project’s lead educator, and in a group setting.

The PRESERVA programme, carried out at the Can Coll Therapeutic Community, therefore provides a specialised environment for early detection and intervention in building protective factors. This enables drug users in treatment who are experiencing premature ageing to limit the negative consequences associated with consumption and to rehabilitate the affected functions.