Stories
Why Indian Families Desperately Need a Stronger Dementia Care System
F
Firstpost•19-10-2026, 17:59
Why Indian Families Desperately Need a Stronger Dementia Care System
- •Families caring for dementia patients face overwhelming burdens due to fragmented medical services, a severe shortage of trained professionals, and limited access to specialised care.
- •Caregiving often forces family members to juggle medical appointments, nutrition, physiotherapy, and social engagement, leading to widespread caregiver burnout.
- •The shift in caregiving duties frequently strains relationships, turning children or spouses into full-time coordinators and supervisors rather than family members.
- •A lack of meaningful government and insurance policies leaves specialised dementia care largely inaccessible to a huge portion of the Indian population.
- •Experts like Neha Sinha urge for sustained national attention and policy support to build a robust care ecosystem that protects both patients and their families.
Key Questions Answered
Caregiver burnout is widespread due to a critical shortage of dementia specialists and trained staff, alongside fragmented medical and care services that force family members to coordinate across multiple providers entirely on their own.
Government and insurance policies have yet to meaningfully support the dementia care sector, leaving specialised services largely inaccessible to a massive portion of the Indian population and placing heavy burdens on younger generations.
According to a 2023 AIIMS-USC study, the number of Indian seniors aged 60 and above living with dementia is projected to nearly double from 8.8 million to 16.9 million by 2036.
