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Dementia Rehabilitation: The Challenges

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Ageing Issues in India

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 32))

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Abstract

Dementia care in India is under-recognized, and there is a lack of specialized rehabilitation centres focusing solely on dementia rehabilitation. The present chapter unfolds the various challenges in dementia rehabilitation within the Indian cultural context and the need for geriatric mental health experts to take cognizance of the same. Dementia rehabilitation in India is riddled with difficulties across various spheres which include financial deficiencies, lack of trained staff, non-desire of caregivers to admit their patients into a rehabilitation centre and the lack of expert dementia care specialists to manage these patients. The interface of medical problems with dementia, multiple medical professionals managing the same patient, increased pill count, lack of systematized occupational therapy and psychosocial care along with ever-increasing caregiver strain and burden are some of the reasons for dementia care to receive serious setbacks in the Indian setting. This is coupled with a lack of knowledge among primary care physicians and poor awareness in the general public about this condition. Behavioural and psychological issues in dementia coupled with legal issues related to testamentary capacity, wills, property matters and family disputes complicate efforts at dementia rehabilitation further. The chapter outlines probable solutions to these challenges and tries to provide and erudite framework for clinically viable and practical dementia rehabilitation in hospital and home-based settings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice, Mumbai, India

    Pragya Lodha

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Carmel, 18, St. Francis Road, Off SV Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai, 400054, India

    Avinash De Sousa

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  1. Pragya Lodha
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  1. University of Delhi, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

    Mala Kapur Shankardass

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Lodha, P., De Sousa, A. (2021). Dementia Rehabilitation: The Challenges. In: Shankardass, M.K. (eds) Ageing Issues in India. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 32. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5827-3_5

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