In view of the growing need, Nightingales Medical Trust is establishing the Centre for Ageing & Alzheimer’s in Bangalore with comprehensive facilities and services. This non-profit initiative will be the first of its kind in Bangalore and in India as well.
Being an ambitious project, it is expected to make a significant impact on the quality of life of the patients and their family members in Karnataka and the neighboring States too.

Dementia is a brain disorder and the most devastating illness affecting mostly the older persons. Alzheimer’s is the major cause of this disease. It is progressive in nature. As of yet there is no cure, only compassionate care with understanding can help.

Currently in the world 24.3 million elders are affected. In India the figure is 3,20,000 which is expected to double in the next 20 years. In the city of Bangalore, the estimated number of Dementia patients is 30,000. Compared to developed countries India is very much lagging behind in awareness about Dementia and in appropriate care facilities. Bangalore, known as the haven of senior citizens still has no exclusive care facility for Alzheimer’s.

This Care Centre is a 70 bedded facility. The exteriors and interiors have been designed with care to be spacious, airy, elder and Alzheimer’s friendly with greenery, walkways, activity areas, comfortable rooms with skid proof flooring, hand rails and ramps for easy wheel chair movement. All comforts with safety and security have been ensured.

The facilities and services are of high quality and standard. Professional and compassionate care is offered round the clock by a qualified, trained and committed team of doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, nurses and social workers.

Our technical collaboration with Alzheimer’s Australia WA, a globally leading organization in Dementia care will ensure the best possible standard to our services.

The facilities and services include:

• Memory Clinic with screening and assessment
• Fitness and Rehabilitation – for Dementia patients and needy elders
• Institutional / Long Term Care – In advanced stages of Dementia, the patients become totally dependent on care givers and need round the clock care. Taking care of them by family members and keeping them at home become almost impossible. Institutional care has all facilities to take good care of such patients
• Short Term / Respite Care This is a great relief to caregiving family members, particularly when they need to go out of station for a short period
• Day Care – Working children can leave their elders with Dementia at the Centre during day time
• Training – Besides training caregivers both professionals and family members, with hands on practice, training of trainers is the speciality of this programme
• Research – With special focus on the efficacy of indigenous medicines for handling age related ailments and Alzheimer’s
• Elders Enrichment Centre – Besides Alzheimer’s Care, the Centre has an Elders Enrichment wing with planned facilities and activities, addressing the physical, medical, emotional, economic and social needs of the elderly. The purpose of this wing is to keep elders active both mentally and physically with the hope of preventing or postponing Alzheimer’s and related disorders
• Mobile Medicare for Rural Elders – A team consisting of a lady Doctor and paramedical staff will visit three villages everyday for rendering curative care and promoting healthy ageing practices.

This unique Centre for Ageing & Alzheimer’s is to be inaugurated by Shri Mukul Wasnik, Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India at 10.30am on 24th April 2010. Shri B S Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister, Karnataka is presiding over the function.