NIMHANS paper in World Alzheimer’s Report emphasises socio-culturally appropriate dementia intervention

Recognising that socio-cultural practices profoundly impact the lives of people living with dementia, a team of researchers from NIMHANS and Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India, India, have recommended that enhancing efforts to impact public perception, healthcare systems, and policy can contribute to improving the quality of life in people living with dementia. According to a paper titled Cultural implications for people living with dementia and their family in the Indian context that is part of the World Alzheimer’s Report, 2022, efforts from dementia stakeholders as well as policy change can contribute towards developing equitable solutions and enhancing the wellbeing of people living with dementia and their families in the Indian context. Socio-cultural context “While certain aspects of dementia diagnosis and care are universal, reducing the global burden of dementia actually relies on tackling this multifaceted issue through contextualised and localised forms of medical practice and care. “This large treatment gap is due to a lack of awareness, stigma, limited availability and accessibility to health services, in addition to a significant shortage of multidisciplinary care specialists trained to diagnose and treat dementia.