The training aspect is particularly interesting. Conversations with caregivers at the clinic usually swing around to the day-to-day nitty-gritty of dealing with dementia, the impaired activities of daily living (ADLs) - keeping the person engaged, getting them to bathe, preventing them from wandering. Members of other fully functioning chapters whom I met at the conference animatedly discussed the caregiver training workshops and courses they held on a regular basis. These local courses are exactly what the doctor ordered - education for understanding and hands-on caregiver training.
The Dementia India Report 2010 was extensively quoted by many of the conference speakers. This document has dementia related statistics specifically for India and its states, and is an essential resource to leverage for obtain funds for dementia related activities. It also has details of services available for people with dementia - unfortunately data on support groups is as yet not available.
Caregiver training is a thrust area in dementia management. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group has developed a training package with a set of manuals, detailed instructions and a training video for caregivers and caregiver training. These are available for anyone to download after providing an email id. They provide a template that can be used by any individual or organisation involved in caring for persons with dementia.
The ARDSI conducts two geriatric care training courses; a six month certificate course and a one year post-graduate diploma course at its centre in Cochin. The number of persons with dementia in India is assessed to be 3.7 million in 2010. The ARDSI and similar courses will provide a pool of trained workers to care for the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers. This pool of personnel is not just on paper. The conference was over-booked. Extra seating had to be provided to accommodate the 100+ last minute attendees in the 400 seater main auditorium. Most of them were trainee social workers entering the field in time to meet the growing demand for their services.
References
- 10/66 Dementia Research Group. Resources for caregivers and caregiver trainers.
- Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (2010). The Dementia India Report: prevalence, impact, costs and services for Dementia. (Eds) Shaji KS, Jotheeswaran AT, Girish N, Srikala Bharath, Amit Dias, Meera Pattabiraman and Mathew Varghese. ARDSI, New Delhi. ISBN: 978-81-920341-0-2