Chennai, June 19: With nearly 90 percent of India’s dementia cases going undiagnosed and demand for trained caregivers rising, Athulya Senior Care, in association with Dementia India Alliance, trained more than 45 students and aspiring healthcare professionals at a “Healthy Brain, Healthy Ageing” workshop held today at its Maduravoyal facility in Chennai, as part of Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month 2026.
Participants from disciplines including psychology, social work, caregiving and allied healthcare attended expert-led sessions on brain health, dementia awareness, healthy ageing and caregiving practices, and received certificates upon completing the programme.
Sessions, led by mental health professionals and dementia care experts, covered the early signs and symptoms of dementia, risk factors associated with cognitive decline, current approaches to dementia care and treatment, and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, giving participants practical insight into supporting people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Beyond raising awareness, the workshop aimed to strengthen India’s dementia care ecosystem by equipping students and aspiring professionals with foundational caregiving knowledge, contributing to a skilled workforce capable of supporting the country’s growing number of people living with dementia and age-related cognitive disorders.
The initiative comes as India faces a rapidly growing dementia burden. Recent research estimates that approximately 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above currently live with dementia, of which nearly 70 percent are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease translating to more than 6 million Alzheimer’s cases nationwide. As India’s ageing population continues to grow, that number is projected to rise to nearly 16.9 million by 2036. Globally, more than 75 percent of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are expected to occur in low- and middle-income countries by 2050, underscoring the urgency of strengthening awareness, diagnosis and care infrastructure.
Dr. Nivedha Pathmanathan, Consultant Psychiatrist, Athulya Senior Care said “Many families mistake the early signs of dementia for normal ageing, and that delay can cost months, sometimes years, of care a person could have received”, Early intervention significantly improves quality of life for someone living with dementia and gives families time to prepare for the journey ahead. Workshops like this one are how we move the needle on early detection and informed care.”
Commenting on the initiative, Ms. Ramani Sundaram, Executive Director, Dementia India Alliance, said, “India is entering a phase where dementia is increasingly becoming a public health and caregiving challenge, yet we continue to face a significant shortage of professionals trained to support those living with the condition. Through our association with Athulya Senior Care, this workshop introduced to participants the realities of dementia care and encouraged a more informed and empathetic approach towards cognitive health.”
Speaking about this initiative, Mr. Srinivasan G, Founder and CEO, Athulya Senior Care said, “The shortage of caregivers trained to support people with dementia is one of the biggest gaps in India’s senior care system today. Through our association with Dementia India Alliance, this workshop gives students and aspiring professionals a foundation in dementia care, and the skills they build here will shape how well India’s ageing population is supported in the years ahead.”
The workshop is part of Athulya Senior Care’s ongoing efforts to build awareness around healthy ageing, cognitive health and specialised senior care, while supporting the development of a trained workforce for individuals living with dementia and their families.