Certificate course to train dementia caregivers

Bengaluru: Aimed at plugging gaps in dementia care training, Dementia India Alliance (DIA), an NGO promoting the cause of dementia, launched a self-paced Dementia Orientation Certificate Course on Thursday.

The initiative is in collaboration with the Renaissance e-Services Private Limited, and is designed to provide accessible, high-quality training suited to the Indian context.

The online course aims to equip healthcare workers, including nurses, nursing assistants, physiotherapists, and allied healthcare professionals, with the skills needed to provide compassionate and effective dementia care whilst also addressing the mental health needs of caregivers.

Currently, the number of people living with dementia in India is estimated to be 88 lakh, which is projected to increase to 1.7 crore by 2036. Organisations working in dementia care and awareness acknowledge the physical and emotional toll it takes on caregivers and healthcare professionals, thus requiring training to equip them with skills to handle complex demands of dementia care and take care of themselves too.

Dr Radha S Murthy, President, Dementia India Alliance, said, “Through these self-paced courses, we hope to empower healthcare professionals and caregivers with the necessary knowledge and support systems to manage people with dementia effectively while also taking care of their mental health.”

DIA also announced that two additional self-paced online courses will soon be launched, one for doctors and medical students, and another on creating dementia-friendly hospitals.

For more information about the course, and to enrol, visit Psychology World (https://psychologyworld.org/dementia-orientation.php) and Meducination website (https://meducination.com/course/dementia-orientation-certificate-for-healthcare-professionals-spl).

Families of mental health
Sumana Trust is building a gated community 'Saksham Sumana Inclusive Living' to provide support to families caring for people with mental illness within their campus being built by Shanders Properties in Electronic City Phase 2.

"This answers the question of 'who after us?' for many families and ensures assisted care such as psychotherapy and rehabilitation services within the campus. Work has started and is expected to complete within nine months. The builder will build 40 homes and families can buy them," said Guruprasad S V, Trustee, Sumana Trust.

"We have signed an MoU with the Oxford Medical College, Attibele to provide subsidised treatment and ambulance services to those living in the community," he said.