Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 8: Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) on Friday, November 6, inaugurated the first phase of Nightingales Smriti Gram, an integrated dementia care village at Thirumagondanahalli near Doddaballapur in Bengaluru Rural district. The facility will provide free residential care to 100 elders with dementia from economically disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds.
The facility was inaugurated by Lakshmi, one of its first residents, whose admission marked the beginning of the initiative. The project aims to support elders who lack adequate family or financial assistance and require specialised dementia care.
Envisioned as an integrated care model, Smriti Gram will bring residential services, caregiver training, research and innovation under one campus. The dementia-friendly environment is designed to help residents live with dignity, maintain social connections and participate in meaningful activities. Its person-centred approach will focus on the individual needs and well-being of residents rather than defining them solely by their condition.
The campus will also serve as a centre for caregiver training and capacity building, with the aim of developing a skilled workforce in dementia and eldercare. Research initiatives will explore the integration of evidence-based Indian systems of medicine with contemporary medical practices in collaboration with the Central Ayurveda Research Institute under the Ministry of Ayush.
Speaking at the inauguration, S Premkumar Raja, Secretary of Nightingales Medical Trust, said the project was the culmination of a long-standing vision and nearly three decades of the organisation's work in eldercare and dementia care. He said the Trust hoped to develop Smriti Gram into a sustainable integrated care model that could be replicated in other parts of the country.
Radha S Murthy, Managing Trustee of the Trust, said the facility was intended to support elders who were vulnerable, neglected, living alone or unable to access care due to financial and family circumstances.
The long-term plan is to expand Smriti Gram into a 300-bed integrated dementia care facility, incorporating residential services, training, research and innovation.
Established in 1998, Nightingales Medical Trust has undertaken several initiatives in dementia and eldercare, including memory clinics, dementia day-care centres, residential care facilities, helplines, caregiver training and programmes addressing elder abuse and neglect. It also runs livelihood and empowerment initiatives for senior citizens.
The Trust acknowledged the support of the Azim Premji Foundation, Dr Syed Ahmed Memorial Charitable Trust, donors and well-wishers in establishing the facility.
Priority for admission 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 care and have limited or no caregiver support. Preference will also be given to elders living alone, facing neglect or considered at risk, and those without adequate family or caregiver assistance.
For admission-related enquiries, Nightingales Medical Trust can be contacted on 080 4242 6565 or through email at contact@nightingaleseldercare.com. Further information is available on its website, www.nightingaleseldercare.com.