India’s Dementia Cases Could Double to 1.69 Cr by2036, Bringing Alzheimer’s Care and Family Mental HealthNeeds into Focus, ETHealthworld
Every June, the world pauses to talk about Alzheimer’s disease and brain health. But there is a quieter, more personal story that rarely gets told – the story of what it actually feels like to live with memory loss, and what it costs the families who love someone through it.
India is already living that story. Nearly 88 lakh people in the country are currently affected by dementia, and that number is expected to almost double to 1.69 crore by 2036. As life expectancy rises and the population ages, more and more families will find themselves navigating a disease that medicine can slow but cannot yet stop. Which is exactly why we need to talk – honestly and openly – about mental health, compassionate care, and the emotional lives of everyone caught in its path.
What Alzheimer’s Actually Does
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive neurological condition in which brain cells are gradually damaged, quietly eroding memory, language, judgment, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
It can be disorienting for the person living with it. Imagine suddenly struggling to remember a loved one’s name – someone you’ve known for decades. Or feeling lost and afraid in a home you’ve lived in for years. Imagine reaching for a word that used to come easily, and finding nothing there. As independence slowly slips away, many people with Alzheimer’s also struggle with anxiety, mood swings and depression – a mental health crisis layered onto a neurological one.
One of the most persistent myths about this disease is that memory loss is simply a natural part of getting older. It is not. Alzheimer’s is a health issue. It should be diagnosed early and given the right support, not tolerated.
The Long Wait Before a Diagnosis
By the time a formal diagnosis arrives, Alzheimer’s has often already been reshaping a person’s life for months, sometimes years. Something feels off. Memories slip. Small tasks become difficult.
But without a name for what is happening, self-doubt creeps in. People withdraw quietly – skipping gatherings, stepping back from things they once loved, terrified of being seen to struggle. And the people closest to them feel it too, as relationships begin to fray under the strain of changes nobody can yet explain
And through all of it, the person and their family carry a growing sense of dread they can’t quite articulate. This uncertain, unnamed period takes a silent but serious toll on mental health – and it’s one that rarely receives the attention it deserves.
The Weight Families Carry
Alzheimer’s is not a diagnosis that belongs to one person. It belongs to the whole family. A spouse watches the person they built their life with slowly become a stranger to themselves. Children step into roles they were never prepared for. Siblings witness a sibling – once vibrant, capable, present – gradually fade. The emotional weight of this is enormous: the exhaustion of caregiving, the guilt of not doing enough, the grief of losing someone who is still physically there.Families need far more than practical caregiving advice. They need space to process what they’re going through – to grieve, to feel afraid, to be honest about the toll this takes on them, without shame. They need access to support groups and mental health professionals who understand the particular anguish of watching someone you love disappear by degrees. And they need permission, perhaps above all else, to take care of themselves – because a caregiver who is burned out cannot care for anyone.
What We Can Do
While age remains the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, research increasingly shows that lifestyle choices across a lifetime can matter. Managing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease – particularly in midlife – may help reduce risk.
Staying physically active helps too – even a daily walk makes a difference. So does staying socially connected, because isolation tends to quietly worsen cognitive health in ways we often underestimate. Good sleep, a balanced diet, and reaching out for help when depression sets in all play a role as well.
None of these is a guarantee. But they are meaningful steps toward healthier aging, and in some cases, may help delay the onset of cognitive decline.
A Kinder Kind of Care
Alzheimer’s is, at its core, a disease that touches the whole person – not just the brain. And the people it touches include everyone who loves the person living with it.
The 88 lakh Indians navigating this disease right now and the families walking alongside them deserve more than medical management. They deserve integrated support – care that acknowledges the emotional reality of this journey and treats mental health as just as important as physical health.
No family should have to face this alone. And with stronger support networks, more open conversations, and a genuine commitment to emotional wellbeing as part of dementia care, fewer of them will have to.
The article is written by Prakriti Saxena Poddar, Clinically Trained Mental Health and Wellbeing Expert, Global Head, Roundglass.
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHealthworld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHealthworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly)
