SCARF to mark 10th anniversary of dementia care unit DEMCARES

From an immersive experience, engaging stalls, a panel discussion and a play, DEMCARES, the dementia care unit of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) hospital in Chennai will mark their 10th anniversary on August 23 in collaboration with the Alliance Française of Madras. 

This public event which is open to all, will honour the decade of work by DEMCARES in dementia care, research and community engagement. 

Dakshana Rajaram and T M Karthik in a poster for The Father
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

An exploration of love, memory and identity, The Father, a play written by Florian Zeller and directed by Denver Anthony Nicholas will be staged as a part of the event. Starring T M Karthik, Abinaya R, Abhijit Senthil, Athithya Jayachandran, Bhavya Balantrapu and Dakshana Rajaram, the play chronicles a father-daughter relationship that traverses the everyday reality of living with dementia. 

“We have staged this play a few times before in different places and every time we do, there is some nuance and a newer understanding of dementia that emerges for us,” says actor T M Karthik. Having seen a close family member go through a terminal illness, Karthik says that while he was able to instantly empathise with the character of the father he plays, his empathy too has been evolved, and shaped by his director and fellow actors onstage as they immerse themselves in this story. 

This 10th year celebration aims to create awareness, foster empathy, and provide meaningful support for persons with dementia and their caregivers. A sensitively designed immersive experience room will be set up that people can walk into from 2pm to 9pm, and the play will be followed by a panel discussion. Stalls set up by community partners will also have engaging activities for visitors. 

Dr Sridhar Vaitheswaran, Additional Director, SCARF, DEMCARES says that the immersive experience room will give people an idea of what it is that people with dementia go through in their daily lives. “The panel discussion will focus on what the play has tried to convey, and has healthcare practitioners, caregivers and other guests discuss the current issues and future challenges in India with regard to treating dementia,” he says. 

Awareness programmes, Dr Sridhar says, need to start early from educating students in schools about overall good brain health and dementia as a part of that. “We need to keep the conversation going about lifestyle factors, physical activity, proper diet and social engagement. We also need to target specific groups; people with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease for instance, speak to them about brain health and how if they don’t treat or keep their conditions under control, it can negatively influence their overall brain health and contribute to dementia,” he adds.

At the Alliance Française of Madras, 24 College Road, Nungambakkam from 2pm onwards. Entry is free. For the play The Father at 5pm, register at dementia.scarfindia.org/registration-form/