Echoing Healthy Ageing is improving lives of people with dementia

Coping with dementia can be a challenge as it leads to a decline in mental ability that affects the day-to-day life of the affected person.

It is not just one disease but a group of symptoms and can cause impairment in any of the following.

• Memory

• Communication and language skills

• Ability to focus and concentrate

• Reasoning and decision making ability

• Visual perception

Echoing Healthy Ageing (EHA), an organization in Mumbai, has been focusing on raising awareness and developing strategies to cope with the onset of dementia.

Many older adults are at risk of developing mental disorders, neurological disorders. Education and strategies for active ageing, environment that support well-being are need of the hour. Hence we have been working with organisations, communities to provide interactive workshops for people in their 50s. We guide them towards healthy ageing strategies so that they are prepared to prevent and managing age-associated chronic diseases including mental, neurological disorders. – Amrita Patil Pimpale, Founder, Echoing Healthy Ageing

For people at a severe stage of dementia, care is required which can come from family, friends or other caregivers. EHA organizes training sessions and workshops where caregivers are made aware of the various factors involved. It helps with information so there is a better understanding of what a dementia patient needs.

Some of the aspects that are covered by EHA Dementia Care Companion Program

– Home based care to provide convenient care that is also focusing on the welfare of person with dementia and the family.

– A detailed care plan to be followed for a patient that has dementia.

– Providing specially trained care companions to take care of the individual need of people living with dementia.

– Monthly home visits by care consultant to review dementia care and condition of patients.

– Regular session updates for family members that take care of loved ones that have dementia.

It can make a lot of difference when professionally trained people take care dementia patients. They get better care and respond to the treatments. Even the family members feel supported and guided while caring for their loved ones.

Charusheela Kadu, who works in a Memory Clinic, meets patients who have memory loss due to dementia.

“After training from EHA, we are now able to provide better care to people visiting our clinic. Rather than just treating the patients, we also counsel the family members and make them aware of the needs of people with dementia. EHA has enabled us to serve or a patients in an improved manner.”

EHA has been designing its training program to ensure that dementia patients are treated with dignity, respect and the caregivers are also appreciated to the maximum. The meet ups of the dementia support group bring people together and help them connect to each other.

For more information about services offered by Echoing Healthy Ageing-EHA, click here

Watch in Sign Language