Karnataka: Smriti Gram to offer free residential care to 100 vulnerable elders with dementia

Lakshmi, one of the first residents of Nightingales Smriti Gram, inaugurates the integrated dementia care facility at Thirumagondanahalli near Doddaballapur in Bengaluru Rural district on November 6, 2026. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT) on Friday (November 6, 2026) inaugurated the first phase of Nightingales Smriti Gram, an integrated dementia care village at Thirumagondanahalli near Doddaballapur in Bengaluru Rural district. The facility will provide free residential care to 100 elders with dementia from economically disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds.The facility was inaugurated by Lakshmi, one of its first residents. Her admission marked the beginning of the initiative, which aims to provide specialised care to elders who lack adequate family or financial support.Envisioned as an integrated dementia care model, Smriti Gram will bring together residential care, caregiver training, research and innovation on a single campus. The facility aims to provide a dementia-friendly environment that enables residents to live with dignity, maintain social connections and participate in meaningful activities.The initiative comes against the backdrop of limited access to specialised dementia care, particularly among economically vulnerable families. Its person-centred approach seeks to address the individual needs of residents rather than treating dementia as the defining aspect of their lives.Caregiver trainingThe campus will also function as a centre for caregiver training and capacity building to develop a skilled workforce in dementia and eldercare. Research initiatives will include exploring the integration of evidence-based Indian systems of medicine with contemporary medical practices, in collaboration with the Central Ayurveda Research Institute under the Ministry of Ayush.Speaking at the inauguration, S. Premkumar Raja, Secretary of Nightingales Medical Trust, said the project was the culmination of a long-standing vision and nearly three decades of the organisation’s work in eldercare and dementia care.He said the Trust hoped to develop Smriti Gram into a sustainable model of integrated dementia care that could be replicated in other parts of the country. S. Premkumar Raja, Secretary of Nightingales Medical Trust, said the project was the culmination of a long-standing vision and nearly three decades of the organisation’s work in eldercare and dementia care. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Vulnerable eldersRadha S. Murthy, Managing Trustee of the Trust, said the facility was intended to support elders who were vulnerable, neglected, living alone or unable to access care because of financial and family circumstances.The long-term plan is to develop Smriti Gram into a 300-bed integrated dementia care facility, with residential services, training, research and innovation.Established in 1998, Nightingales Medical Trust has undertaken several initiatives in dementia and eldercare, including memory clinics, dementia day-care centres, residential care facilities, helplines, caregiver training and programmes addressing elder abuse and neglect. It also runs senior citizen livelihood and empowerment initiatives.The Trust acknowledged the support of the Azim Premji Foundation, Dr. Syed Ahmed Memorial Charitable Trust, donors and well-wishers in establishing the facility. Priority will be given to people aged 55 and above with a confirmed diagnosis of dementia, particularly those from economically disadvantaged families who require round-the-clock care. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Who can apply?Priority will be given to people aged 55 and above with a confirmed diagnosis of dementia, particularly those from economically disadvantaged families who require round-the-clock care and have limited or no caregiver support. Preference will be given to elders living alone, those facing neglect or at risk, and those without adequate family or caregiver support.Nightingales Medical Trust can be reached on 080 4242 6565; e-mail: contact@nightingaleseldercare.com; website: www.nightingaleseldercare.com Published - November 06, 2026 06:12 pm IST