A FORMER resident of Baguio City and now working as an aged nurse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is taking the lead in informing the residents there more about dementia through Zumba.
Just lately, Lovely Rose de Francia-Lavander, also a group Fitness instructor and nurse Educator, organized a Zumba for a cause activity at the Hoppers Club as part of her dementia awareness drive which was warmly supported by residents who are one with the advocacy.
Lavander who has been an aged care nurse for nine years now said there are still a lot of things that people should know about dementia which is considered as one of the main reasons of disability of Australians with age 65 and above.
For her, Zumba is one of the best ways to inform the people about the brain disease which she intends to study further and hopefully be able to help find a cure through research.
“People suffering from severe dementia have very poor quality of life -- lonely, no independence, and very misunderstood. More research will definitely help those people suffering,” she added.
Zumba is also her way of promoting the Philippine culture and tradition through the music that they use in the fitness activity which are Filipino songs.
“Why Filipino songs? So Australians and Filipinos especially the ones who haven't been home in a while) will be exposed to Filipino music,” she said.
The eldest child of 2005 Outstanding Citizen of Baguio Dr. Clarito de Francia, Lavander finished her secondary studies at Baguio City National High School and nursing degree at the University of the Cordilleras.
It was in 2009 when she moved to Australia and now living there with husband Marcus Lavander who is also a traveller.
She finished her Masters of Arts in Nursing, Advance Practice at the University of Newcastle, Australia and hopes to pursue a Doctorate in Geriatric Nursing.
“I want to contribute to Dementia Research be it by fundraising, or my own dementia research when I enroll for PHD,” she said.
May this effort be supported to address concerns pertaining to the progressive impairment of memory which is also one concern in the country.
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