ARDSI Hyderabad Deccan Chapter – Tenth Annual Day
The Tenth Annual day of
Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India, Hyderabad Deccan Chapter
was celebrated on 21st September 2018 in Asha Hospital, Banjara
Hills. On this particular World Alzheimer’s day, I had three invitations to
choose: 1.Walkathon and awareness program flagged off by the Governor of
Telangana in Phonix Arena organized by Nightingale Medical Trust 2. WAD meeting in “Kshetra” (Dementia Residential
Care Home) in Moinabad; 3. this last one by ARDSI. As my association with ARDSI
started with the first preparatory meeting to set up the Deccan branch in 2008,
when Dr Suvarna Alladi and Dr Chandra Sekhar had invited me, I decided to go
there.
Dr Chandra Sekhar welcomed
all to the meeting. The participants consisted of a mix of AD caregivers, partnering
institutions, specialist doctors, NGOs, SCAs, OAHs etc. As insisted by him
while starting the chapter, regular monthly meetings for caregivers became an
established routine. Mere provision of info is not sufficient but we must give
support in locating caregivers, training, awareness creation etc. Needs of the
family and community have to be balanced, he said. Integrating Old Age Homes by
including Day care for AD patients, providing subsidized medicines or diapers,
arranging home visits etc are all important.
Sri Sashidhar spoke next
narrating the history, growth and services of the Hyderabad branch. Running memory clinics, walkathons for
awareness creation, partnering with service providers, pharma companies,
referrals, training, sensitizing school children, fighting stigma associated
with AD – he covered everything briefly but impressively.
Ms Saadiya gave a PowerPoint
presentation on creating a Dementia friendly Community explaining how the idea
started in UK how their needs are different
from ours and the need to come up with our own workable model. Networking with
all stakeholders is a must for the success of project. Next only to Kerala,
Hyderabad is the second in the country to come up with this.
Several representatives of organizations
partnering with ARDSI spoke briefly. Anvayaa kin care, Stanplus, Pain Relief and
Palliative Care society, Golden Oak, Tenet Diagnostics, Life Circle Elder Care Services, Society
for Serving Seniors, Tata Trust, were among them. At least to me there were new
faces. Ms Bala played the linking role, master of ceremony, brilliantly and
most unobtrusively.
We had lot of interactions,
photo sessions, catalogs and pamphlets to carry home, memorable mementos, good
lunch and what not?
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