For Mumbai’s dementia patients, diagnosis is only the beginning

Dignity Foundation, during World Alzheimer’s Month in September, ran its “The Empty Chair” campaign, focused on recognising early signs of dementia, dispelling misconceptions and encouraging young people to support elderly family members.

Sometimes the 87-year-old woman replied only with a faint “hmm,” her gaze fixed on one spot. Other times, she talked and carried on as usual. Getting a response could take several attempts.

In 2024, she was brought to Mumbai after a fall in her washroom, and her family's attention was on her injury. No one saw a pattern at first.

As the family began noticing these episodes — the lack of response, the fixed gaze and, occasionally, unfamiliar names called out — they sought medical advice. She was subsequently diagnosed with dementia.

For Itishree, a Mumbai resident, the diagnosis of her husband's grandmother settled one question and raised another for the whole family: how do you care for someone with dementia when you have never done it before?