Free residential dementia care facility for 100 needy elders to open near Doddaballapur

Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) will open Smriti Gram, an integrated dementia village in Thirumagondanahalli, Doddaballapur taluk, Bengaluru Rural district, on November 6. In its first phase, the village will provide free residential care to 100 elders with dementia from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The trust described the initiative as the first of its kind in the country to offer free residential dementia care to marginalised elders. The facility will bring together specialised residential care, caregiver training, and research and innovation, with a long-term vision of developing a 300-bed care ecosystem.

NMT has appealed to families, hospitals, doctors, non-governmental organisations, social workers, community organisations and government agencies to refer elders who need residential dementia care but lack access to appropriate support.

Priority will be given to people aged 55 and above with a confirmed diagnosis of dementia, particularly those from economically disadvantaged families who require round-the-clock supervision and have little or no caregiver support. This includes elders living alone or facing neglect, those whose elderly family caregivers can no longer provide the required care, and people with moderate dementia and significant care needs.

Admission will be based on clinical assessment, verification of eligibility and the facility’s admission process. Meeting the eligibility criteria will not automatically guarantee admission.

“Financial constraints should never be a barrier to quality dementia care. We appeal to the public and organisations working with vulnerable older people to help us identify needy elders with dementia who have no access to appropriate care,” said Radha S. Murthy, managing trustee of NMT.

S. Premkumar Raja, secretary of NMT, said Smriti Gram aimed to establish a sustainable model of dementia care by integrating care services, capacity building and research, which could be replicated across the country.

Families and organisations can enquire about referrals and admission by calling 080-4242 6565, emailing contact@nightingaleseldercare.com or visiting www.nightingaleseldercare.com