Early Detection Camps
Free memory screenings and cognitive health assessments, delivered in partnership with neurologists, geriatricians and community hospitals across India. We take the clinic to the community — because 9 in 10 Indians with Dementia will never reach a specialist without active outreach.
What happens at a camp:
- Cognitive screening using validated tools: MMSE, MoCA, and Hindi-language adaptations for rural settings
- Blood pressure and metabolic risk factor checks (hypertension is one of the 14 Lancet 2024 risk factors)
- Referral pathways to neurologists and geriatricians for further assessment
- Family counselling on next steps, care planning and local resources
- Free caregiver resource kits distributed at every camp
Research anchor: GAAIN data confirms community-based screening in low- and middle-income countries reduces diagnosis delays by an average of 2.1 years. Early diagnosis is associated with significantly better quality of life and lower hospitalisation rates for both patient and caregiver (ARDSI, 2020).
Awareness Workshops
Plain-language education that demystifies Dementia and dissolves the stigma that keeps families silent. Delivered across schools, resident welfare associations, senior citizen groups, corporate campuses and community halls. Awareness is not optional — it is the precondition for everything else.
Workshop modules include:
- What is Dementia? What is Alzheimer's? (Plain language, no jargon)
- The 14 modifiable risk factors — and what you can do about them today
- How to talk to a family member you are worried about
- The difference between normal ageing and clinical cognitive decline
- Stigma and silence: why Dementia is called 'pagalpan' in many households — and why that must change
- How to find and access support in your city
Research anchor: A 2021 ADI survey found 62% of Indian respondents incorrectly believed Dementia was a normal part of ageing, and 35% would not seek help due to stigma. Awareness workshops are the single most cost-effective intervention in the dementia response ecosystem (WHO Global Dementia Action Plan, 2017–2025).
Caregiver Training
Practical, hands-on, evidence-based training for family members and professional caregivers. In India, more than 90% of all dementia caregiving is done by family members — with no training, no support and no roadmap. This programme changes that.
Training modules:
- Understanding the three stages of Dementia — and how care needs change
- Managing activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, eating, mobility
- Handling behavioural and psychological symptoms: agitation, wandering, repetition, aggression
- Communication strategies for every stage
- Safety in the home: wandering prevention, fall reduction, kitchen and fire safety
- Self-care for caregivers: recognising and addressing burnout
- When and how to access respite care and professional services
Research anchor: A systematic review in International Psychogeriatrics (2020) found structured caregiver training reduces caregiver depression by an average of 23% and unplanned hospitalisation by up to 28%. Estimated economic return: Rs. 4–6 saved per rupee spent (ARDSI Economic Report, 2020).
Family Support Circles
Moderated peer-support groups where families caring for someone with Alzheimer's or Dementia find each other — and find that they are not alone. Both online and in-person, these circles are the living expression of Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah: collective wellbeing through shared humanity.
Circle features:
- Confidential and moderated by trained facilitators
- Local chapters (Nagpur, Bhopal, Lucknow — growing) and virtual chapters for remote families
- Structured sharing: what worked this week, what was hard, what I need
- Resource sharing: government schemes, specialist directories, legal templates
- Monthly guest sessions with neurologists, psychologists and elder-law specialists
Research anchor: A 2019 Cochrane Review found peer support groups reduced caregiver depression scores by 18–26% and significantly improved wellbeing. A 2022 study in Dementia (SAGE) found support group participation in Indian urban settings reduced caregiver isolation scores by 34% over six months.
Research Support
We fund and amplify clinical and social research into Dementia, with a priority focus on India-relevant care models, screening tools and cost-effective prevention strategies. Most global dementia research is conducted in high-income countries. India needs its own evidence base, and we intend to help build it.
Research support activities:
- Small grants to Indian researchers working on community-based dementia screening and care
- Partnerships with AIIMS, NIMHANS, IISc Centre for Brain Research and ARDSI
- Translation and dissemination of international research into Hindi and regional languages
- Advocacy for inclusion of dementia-specific data in national health surveys (NSSO, NFHS)
- Support for development of India-specific cognitive assessment tools
Research anchor: India generates less than 2% of global dementia research output despite being home to over 12% of the world's people with Dementia (Alzheimer's Research UK, 2023). The Lancet Neurology (2024) identifies India's data gap as a barrier to effective policy. We are committed to narrowing it.
Dignity & Advocacy
Public advocacy and policy engagement to ensure people living with Dementia have rights, resources and recognition in India's health and social systems. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016) includes dementia, but implementation is uneven. The National Mental Health Policy (2014) has provisions but limited outreach. We work to close that gap.
Advocacy priorities:
- Dementia-inclusive implementation of the RPWD Act 2016 at state level
- Inclusion of structured dementia care in Ayushman Bharat and state health insurance schemes
- Mandatory dementia training for ASHA workers and primary health centre staff
- A push for a National Dementia Plan, following the WHO's Global Dementia Action Plan 2017–2025
- Media and public campaigns to reduce stigma and normalise help-seeking
Research anchor: Karnataka declared Dementia a state health priority in 2023 (Lancet Neurology, 2024) — evidence that state-level advocacy works. We aim to replicate and scale such wins nationwide.
