India currently has about 4.41 million persons with dementia. However, only less than 10% receive diagnosis and appropriate care. Dementia Care in SCARF (DEMCARES) is a project of Schizophrenia Research Foundation India, a leading non-governmental organisation in mental health care and research in Chennai, India.
The Team
Dr. Sridhar Vaitheswaran (MD, MRCPsych) HOD DEMCARES
Sridhar is a consultant psychiatrist at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation. He has been the head of the DEMCARES project since 2015. Sridhar’s interests lie in building capacity among health care staff and developing services to improve care of persons with dementia in Chennai.
Dr. Sridhar Vaitheswaran (MD, MRCPsych)HOD DEMCARES
Sridhar is a consultant psychiatrist at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation. He has been the head of the DEMCARES project since 2015. Sridhar’s interests lie in building capacity among health care staff and developing services to improve care of persons with dementia in Chennai.
Ms.MonishaLakshminarayanan (Msc. Psychology – Clinical) Psychologist
Monisha is currently involved in adapting cognitive stimulation therapy to be more culturally appropriate, validating assessments for persons with dementia as well as their caregivers, training caregivers and professionals in delivering interventions and improving quality of care. Her interests include person centred approaches to care, culturally relevant interventions and alternative non-pharmacological therapies.
Ms.MonishaLakshminarayanan(Msc. Psychology – Clinical)Psychologist
Monisha is currently involved in adapting cognitive stimulation therapy to be more culturally appropriate, validating assessments for persons with dementia as well as their caregivers, training caregivers and professionals in delivering interventions and improving quality of care. Her interests include person centred approaches to care, culturally relevant interventions and alternative non-pharmacological therapies.
Ms.B.Suhavana (M.Phil, Clinical Psychology)Psychologist
Suhavana is currently involved in providing psychological interventions for persons with dementia and their caregivers, training mental health professionals in dementia identification and management as well as validating an attitudes to dementia scale among college students.Her interest areas include neuropsychology, tools that aid in dementia screening and culturally relevant tools that aid in evaluating sub cortical functioning.
Ms.B.Suhavana (M.Phil, Clinical Psychology)Psychologist
Suhavana is currently involved in providing psychological interventions for persons with dementia and their caregivers, training mental health professionals in dementia identification and management as well as validating an attitudes to dementia scale among college students.Her interest areas include neuropsychology, tools that aid in dementia screening and culturally relevant tools that aid in evaluating sub cortical functioning.
Nirupama Natarajan (MA Applied Psychology - Clinical) Psychologist
Nirupama Natarajan (MA Applied Psychology - Clinical) Psychologist
Nirupama is a psychologist with the DEMCARES team, she is working on the feasibility of using robotics in dementia care in our country. She is
interested in delivering cognitive stimulation therapy and psychosocial
interventions for caregivers, and dementia care practice research. In
addition, she is working on understanding polypharmacy and antipsychotic use in Dementia.
Gayathri Nagarajan (Msc. Applied Psychology) Psychologist
Gayathri is a psychologist with the DEMCARES team. She is working on adapting interventions for caregivers of persons with dementia for use in India. She is also involved in assessing sensory impairments in dementia and developing interventions for the same. Her interests include neuropsychology, understanding the impacts of neurodegenerative diseases on psychosocial functioning and working with caregivers to provide supportive counseling.
Gayathri Nagarajan (Msc. Applied Psychology) Psychologist
Gayathri is a psychologist with the DEMCARES team. She is working on adapting interventions for caregivers of persons with dementia for use in India. She is also involved in assessing sensory impairments in dementia and developing interventions for the same. Her interests include neuropsychology, understanding the impacts of neurodegenerative diseases on psychosocial functioning and working with caregivers to provide supportive counseling.
Kowsalya Kumar (RNRM, BSN)Staff Nurse
Kowsalya is a Staff Nurse at the DEMCARES since 2019. She manages the clinical activities at DEMCARES. Kowsalya’s interests lie in providing high quality nursing care to the persons with dementia and providing training to the other health care professionals working with persons living with dementia.
Kowsalya Kumar (RNRM, BSN) Staff Nurse
Kowsalya is a Staff Nurse at the DEMCARES since 2019. She manages the clinical activities at DEMCARES. Kowsalya’s interests lie in providing high quality nursing care to the persons with dementia and providing training to the other health care professionals working with persons living with dementia.
Ms.Abirami Marimutthu (GNM)
Abirami is a nursing assistant at the Centre for Active Aging. She delivers basic psychological group and individual interventions and assists with taking care of our clients basic physical health needs. Her interests include cognitive stimulation,palliative care and ensuring improved quality of life.
Ms.Abirami Marimutthu (GNM)
Abirami is a nursing assistant at the Centre for Active Aging. She delivers basic psychological group and individual interventions and assists with taking care of our clients basic physical health needs. Her interests include cognitive stimulation,palliative care and ensuring improved quality of life.
Ms.SaraswathiSrinivasan (GNM)
Saraswathi is a nursing assistant at the Centre for Active Aging. She assists with providing basic psychological therapies and basic nursing services. Her interests include engaging clients in innovative and cognitively stimulating ways and ensuring their physical health needs are met.
Ms.SaraswathiSrinivasan (GNM)
Saraswathi is a nursing assistant at the Centre for Active Aging. She assists with providing basic psychological therapies and basic nursing services. Her interests include engaging clients in innovative and cognitively stimulating ways and ensuring their physical health needs are met.
Arasu Pandian
Arasu assists with all clinical and research activities at DEMCARES. He primarily works on the project that is looking at using apps to screen for dementia in the community that is funded by the Department of Science and Technology.
Arasu Pandian
Arasu assists with all clinical and research activities at DEMCARES. He primarily works on the project that is looking at using apps to screen for dementia in the community that is funded by the Department of Science and Technology.
Mrs. Chamundeshwari
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to our funder, the Infosys Foundation. We would also like to thank our other sponsor’s The good news Scotland charitable trust, SUN Pharma and The Street,Inc.
Our volunteers, Chandra Periyanayagam, Mr Lakshminarayanan, Mrs UshaLakshminarayan and Mrs Komalavalli Santhanam for their time and meticulous work
We would also like to thank the following contributors to the websites for their time and effort in making this website possible:
- Sanjeevi Technologies – website design
- Shuchi Kapoor – Photographs
- Lavanya Grace – Backdrop design
- Sanjana Jain – Content contribution
- Our interns PearleneDaneil, Niveditha, Niranjali and Sindhu – content editing