Tough time for dementia care

Admissions at facilities have gone up with increased awareness about Alzheimer's and dementia

Adjusting to the pandemic while treating and assisting families and people with Alzheimer’s disease, institutions that deal with dementia, have a lot on their plate.

World Alzheimer’s Day is on September 21. Metrolife interacts with some facilities in the city, about services they provide and roadblocks they face.

Nightingales Medical Trust

The Trust operates Nightingales Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer’s, Kasturinagar, with 98 beds; a 24-bed facility exclusively for women located at Kothanur; and a home for destitute women in Anepalya, with 25 beds.

The facility has memory clinics, where memory screening and assessment of acute cases are done, and respite care and long term residential care is provided.

S Premkumar Raja, co-founder and secretary, says, “We admit dementia patients in all stages of the disease. Our team consists of psychiatrists, family physicians, psychologists, physiotherapists, nurses and caregivers.”

He says there has been an increase in admissions, as there is increased awareness about the disease. Consequentially, life expectancy has increased.

Covid-19 and the restrictions accompanying it has physically and psychologically affected people with dementia and their carers. “There are several challenges one faces, when taking care of patients. As physical touch is important for them, social distancing is not possible. If a caregiver wears a mask, the patients will not be able to recognise them,” he says.

For new admissions, there is an observation facility set up. Most elderly patients have flu-like symptoms related to Covid-19, which can create fear. “We have reduced the number of staff and ensured that they live with us. Visits from family members have been reduced,” says Premkumar.

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Hours: Monday to Sunday (24*7)

NIKISA Dementia Village

A first of its kind in Asia, the facility located in Yelahanka, aims to make life a pleasant experience for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The facility has 100 beds and around 70 rooms. S Subramanya, director and a retired IAS officer, says, “We have had patients from 58 to 97 years old.”

Subramanya says that the facility works with the policy, ‘It is your way’. “We do not contest with a patient, as long as he or she is not harmful. We separate patients by gender, as such patients sometimes disrobe themselves. Patients are also taken care of according to the stage of their disease,” he says.

Doctors closely watch the patients’ progress. The facility has general physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, lab technicians, physiotherapists, and is equipped with all other medical equipment. Patients usually stay on till their end.

“There is space to walk around, a central avenue, shops, salon, temple to pray at, activity rooms and gyms,” he says.

Among the challenges of treatment is that caregivers cannot be on shift basis. “The ability to recognise people is very limited and thus a dedicated assistant is needed,” he explains.

The pandemic has posed many difficulties. “Unlike others, these patients cannot be told to wear masks. We have five doctors designated to monitor any symptoms among patients. Every patient is checked twice for any symptoms. Visitors are only allowed to come after prior appointment and wear protective equipment,” he says.

Call: 99450 90448
Hours: All days through the week (24*7)

Sumukha Facilitators

The organisation provides nursing services for home and also has two old age homes.

Narayana Swamy, director, says, “We have two centres, at Jayanagar and Kanakapura Road, which house around 10 to 12 elderly members. Around 40 per cent of the admitted patients at any given time, have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.”

Among home services, 40 per cent of the home nurses are demanded to help dementia patients. “Managing such patients can be really challenging. Some patients will be calm and some will be aggressive,” he notes.

Call: 98800 24265
Hours: All through the week (24*7)

‘Challenging to look after dementia patients’

Most old age homes accept elderly patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, according to the stage of their condition.

Raghunanda G, founder and managing trustee, Sudhama Old Age Home, RR Nagar, says, “Some patients are more aggressive than the others; whichever cases our staff can handle, we happily take in.”

“We take details about the patients from their families. They stay at our facility for a few weeks to see if they and the staff can adjust with each other. Handling dementia patients can be challenging and needs staff with intensive training,” he adds.

App for dementia to launch on Sept 21

On World Alzheimer’s Day, at an event organised by Nightingales Medical Trust and ARDSI Bengaluru Chapter, DemKonnect, a free mobile application for families with dementia, will be launched.

It has a range of choices for the user: the memory screening option enables the user to assess their loved ones or themselves, which can be followed up with a consultation with a dementia care expert, through the chat or video call, between 10 am and 5 pm, on all days.

The app is available on Android and iOS. It is free of cost.