Hyderabad : Alzheimer's is often described as a disease of memory of forgetfulness, but for families of the patient, the impact goes far beyond forgetting names, dates or familiar places. 

Alzheimer's disease comes under the large umbrella of dementia that affects significant section of the world population. In India, conservative estimates peg the figure of recorded dementia patients to 8.8 million. Doctors say nearly 70% of it are cases of Alzheimer's.

Despite this high burden of the disease, caregiving for Alzheimer's patients in India is still at its nascent stage. Well known actor and former Miss Universe, Lara Dutta, in an exclusive conversation with opens about challenges a family of a patient can face. 

The conversation, led by experts from Fortis Healthcare and Eli Lilly, was focused on the World Alzheimer's Day 2026 clarion call "Time is Now: Regognise the Signs and Seek Help Early".

The term, 'Alzheimer's disease' has been used for over 100 years since first used in 1910. Alzheimer's Disease is named after the widely known doctor who focused on the study of neurosyphilis and vascular dementia. He reported the first case to the academic world.

In 1906, Alois Alzheimer documented 50-year-old Auguste Deter, whose memory loss, disorientation and hallucinations led to the first recognised case of what became Alzheimer's disease.

Today, it is identified as the disease that makes a patient completely dependent on others to help him/her manage everyday activities, communicate effectively to or live independently. The responsibility increasingly shifts to family members, often unpaid caregivers.

"From shaving to brushing, even your bowel movements, the patient is dependent on everyone else for these basic things, it not a disease about just forgetfulness" says Dr. Vinit Banga, Director & HOD - Neurology, Fortis Escorts Faridabad.

A 2025 nationally representative analysis using LASI-DAD data (Longitudinal Aging Study in India - Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia ) found that caregivers of people with cognitive impairment experienced higher stress, poorer mental health and lower positive well-being. Importantly, the greater the caregiving responsibility, the greater the impact on caregiver well-being.

The burden of dementia extends far beyond the patient. Indian studies have documented substantial caregiver stress, emotional strain and financial difficulties, highlighting the often-overlooked cost of long-term dementia care

The burden can be physical, emotional, social and financial - as Lara Dutta points out. Her mother, Jennifer Maureen Dutta, has lived with Alzheimer's for more than a decade now. She says it is a journey that affects the whole family.

"It takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot of reassurance. It's a hard journey to make. And I know this and I know friends of mine who are dealing with, similar circumstances in their own homes. It's exhausting. Sometimes it's exhausting physically and mentally. But you need to have the patience. You need to have dignity for the person who's actually give them that life of dignity, not strip that away from them, because at some point of time they become completely dependent on you" Dutta says.

Dr Vinit Banga, says more conversation is needed when it comes to patients and also on the kind of support caregivers need. Dutta also speaks about the role of the community stepping in to help the patient and the family and why that becomes important. 

"So you need to have a community that's not judging you, that is supportive of what you're doing. And that can only happen if you start normalizing these conversations around Alzheimer's and dementia that people understand that it is very prevalent today" she says.

Living With An Alzheimer's Patient: Stigma And Support
Lara also puts the focus on what has become one of the biggest challenges for patients and families dealing with this disease - lack of awareness and stigma.

"I think the need of the hour today is really to normalize conversations about anxieties and dementia and not treat it as just a disease that's about forgetfulness. And it is important to be able to normalize those conversations without the fear of, you know, being judged or the stigma that goes along with it," says Dutta.

"It can't be treated as something which is abnormal. Instead of inclusivity we tend to exclude the patient," says Dr Vinit Banga. Dutta also explains how in the case of her mother, timely help and intervention made a lot of difference.

"Timely help and awareness can create all the difference that you need for yourself if you're sick, early days are confusing as well, because if you've got an aging parent, you know, you look to start looking at signs and wondering whether they are just a normal process of aging or whether there is actually anything more is still going on there. And its simple things" says Dutta.

Doctors agree. "Alzeihmer's goes through three stages, pre-clinical stage, middle stage and advanced stages. If the disease is picked early, care can be planned better" says Dr. Sahil Kohli, Additional Director - Neurology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

Alzheimer's may take away memories, independence and eventually the ability to care for oneself, but the person behind the disease remains. And caring for them with dignity means ensuring that caregivers, too, are seen, supported and not left to carry the burden alone.