AIIMS Panel discussion on dementia

A panel discussion on the issue of dementia was recently held at the AIIMS in New Delhi. The discussion was held by the Swedish Queen Silvia and the Director of AIIMS, Dr. Randeep Guleria. The discussion focused on the importance of training when dealing with dementia patients’ care.

Dementia is a mental issue that is often associated with old age. However, the syndrome is not a part of normal ageing process. It causes loss of memory, deterioration in the ability to think and perform everyday activities as well as behavioural changes. Every year 10 million new cases of dementia is added to the global burden. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia. Dementia is a major cause of dependency and disability among senior citizens. Currently, no standard treatment procedure for dementia exists. Treatment usually involves early detection, proper management, treatment of accompanying illnesses, long term support to care-givers, etc.