Program for Victims of Alzheimer’s Gets Grant
A$2,500 grant from the Los Angeles City Council will allow a Van Nuys program for victims of Alzheimer’s disease to expand its service next month.
Alan La Sha, director of the Interactions Alternative Care Program, said he will use the grant to add a third day each week to the program and take on more clients.
It now operates Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Bernardi Multipurpose Center for Senior Citizens, 6514 Sylmar Ave. Beginning March 6, it will also be open Wednesdays, La Sha said.
The program has been serving about 35 victims of the disease, which causes premature senility. It provides social interaction through activities such as dancing, singing, excursions, exercise and crafts, and also offers a respite for relatives of the victims, La Sha said.
Councilman Ernani Bernardi proposed the grant, a part of the federal block grant program, after attending a fund-raising event for the organization. He delivered the check Wednesday.
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