Dear friends,
I am coming to you today with an appeal for support for the cause of the aged. As you all know, as life expectancy increases, the incidence of illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer's is also rapidly on the increase. Many Western countries have the infra-structure and social back up to deal with the needs of such people and their families.
Patients suffering from dementia/Alzheimer's require constant care and attention and very often this is not possible in a domestic set up. The demands on the care-givers is intense and with the kind of changes our social set up is undergoing, this becomes next to impossible to deal with at home.
Unfortunately, we do not have too many organizations which help care for patients with such intensive care. There is to the best of my knowledge just one such organization which provides in-house specialized care for such patients. They also provide home care and nursing for those requiring such help. This is an organization called "Nightingales' Medical Trust". They have a number of centres in Bangalore and one such is dedicated to the care of Alzheimer's and dementia patients. My mother is admitted there since more than a year and I can attest to the quality of care that is provided to these elderly people. (I would like to mention here, that it is not only the aged, but also middle age people who suffer from dementia - early onset dementia. I have been shocked to see people of my age over there).
Yesterday, I received a petition from this organization. They are looking to expand their services and open more centres in other places as well to cater to the needs of patients.
One new centre is almost near completion and will be opened very soon in Kolar in Karnataka. I am enclosing a copy of the appeal I received here in the hope that there will be some people who will be able to help out a needy and good cause.
I am also giving a link to their facebook site, so that you can satisfy yourselves about the veracity and legitimacy of the organization for yourselves. It is https://www.facebook.com/NightingalesMedicalTrust
Dear Sir/Madam,
Having developed various innovative support systems for the well being of the older persons in the area of home health care, mitigating loneliness through enrichment centres, combating elder abuse, financially empowering needy elders, medical care for aged in rural areas and dementia care through Nightingales Centre for Ageing & Alzheimer's (NCAA) now Nightingales Medical Trust (NMT), a registered non profit organization is embarking on a major challenge of making dementia care accessible, efficient and affordable in India.
In India, today, about 37 lakh people are affected with dementia and the number is expected to double by 2030.
Dementia is a progressive brain and degenerative brain syndrome. It affects memory, thinking, behaviour, emotions and the activities of daily living. In India, caregivers are mostly the family members. The disease affects both patient and the caregiver. In advanced stages, the patient needs institutional care. But in India, Institutional care is available only in few cities, making it inaccessible and unaffordable.
Since 2010, Nightingales Centre for Ageing & Alzheimer's (NCAA) has been providing a wide range of services, including institutional care. Patients from Bangalore and other parts of the country are utilizing the services. Yet, the demand is growing day by day.
WHAT WE PROPOSE TO DO
To bring down the cost of institutional care for dementia patients significantly and to benefit more needy patients, NMT is planning to establish Satellite Dementia Care Centers by using technology and telemedicine solutions based on a Hub & Spokes Model with Nightingales Centre for Ageing & Alzheimer's as the hub. As a pilot project Nightingales has initiated steps to establish the first such centre , a 38 bed facility, at Kolar town (60kms from Bangalore) at the premises of ETCM hospital. Once this pilot project becomes a success, we will be setting up more satellite units like this in different towns and cities in India enabling affordable, accessible and efficient dementia care.
Renovation work has almost been completed and the centre is expected to be functional by the end of March 2014.
WE NEED YOU
To make this center functional we need the following requirements.
1. Furniture & Fixtures : 14.25 lakh
2. Medical Equipment : 6.5 lakh
3. Telemedicine Solutions: 9.25 lakh
As a person / organization concerned about dementia care, may we request you very earnestly to contribute your best for this project to make dementia care accessible, efficient and affordable in India
The names of those who contribute over Rupees Fifty Thousand will be displayed prominently at the Centre.
HOW YOU COULD SEND YOUR DONATIONS
a. Cheque favoring Nightingales Medical Trust to the following address:
The Managing Trustee
Nightingales Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer's
No. 8P6, 3rd A Cross, East of NGEF Layout
Kasturinagar, Banaswadi, Bangalore - 43
Karnataka, India
Ph: +91 80 42426565
b. Alternatively, you could also transfer the donation to the following bank account after sending an email to us.
A/C Name : Nightingales Medical Trust
A/C No. : 06681010000097
IFSC Code : IFSC SYNB 0000668
Bank Name : Syndicate Bank
Branch : Kasturinagar Branch, Bangalore - 560043
Bank Details (For Foreign Currency)
A/C Name : Nightingales Medical Trust
A/C No. : 183010022816
IFSC Code : VYSA0001830
SWIFT code : VYSAINBBMGR
Bank Name : ING VYSYA BANK
Branch : G2,#19(OLD NO 86) NEW DIVISION #992^nd MAIN RAOD, SANKEY ROAD SADASHIVNAGAR, BANGALORE-560080
Kindly note, all donations to NMT is exempt U/S 80G of the Income Tax Act and the Trust is approved under FCRA to receive contributions from abroad.
Nightingales Medical Trust has also been recognized by Silicon Valley Foundation as the equivalent of a US public charity.
With kind regards
Dr Radha S Murthy
Nightingales Medical Trust
9844037381
I request everyone who reads this to help out in whatever way and to whatever extent you can and to spread the word to others who you think will be in a position to help.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely
Swati
