Let's fight this silent epidemic for a better tomorrow... #Dementia#ElderCare#Awareness

Hi I am Khushi (15 years old) living in the hustle and bustle of Bangalore with my parents and my daadi; my partner in crime, my guardian angel, always cushioning me from the big bad world.

One Diwali evening, daadi had set out alone to buy dias (Diwali lights) from a nearby shop and didn’t return home for quite some time. All of us, including some of our neighbors started searching frantically and just when we decided to reach out to the police, one of my friends found her sitting at a bus stop near our house, waiting to board a bus to go to our hometown!! She scolded us for being late and said she had been waiting for almost an hour. We were taken aback, but dismissed this instance as old age confusion and memory lapse.

As time passed, daadi's behavior changed drastically. She struggled with conversations and showed signs of confusion. She became more and more dependent on us, even for her everyday tasks. One day, I came across a post about dementia and realized it matched daadi's symptoms. We consulted a doctor who confirmed she was in the moderate stage. Unfortunately, the doctor said that there's no cure and if it had been diagnosed early, the progression could have been slowed down.

Feeling guilty for not seeking help earlier, I decided to start a campaign to raise awareness about dementia and support families going through similar experiences. Join me in creating a compassionate and supportive society for elders with dementia and their families.