Next ⇒ ⇒ Therapies at NIKISA Dementia Village
NIKISA Dementia Village is set up as a small habitation where PwD can live and receive care. Unlike normal hospitals, in Dementia Village PwD will be allowed to lead a normal life within the confines of Dementia village. Unless the activity is dangerous to the PwD or to others, the PwD will be free to pursue their activities. Curbs will not be placed on PwD. This is “It is your way” principle. Some examples given below elucidate this principle.- The 2.5 acres premises of Dementia Village, is well protected on 4 sides so that the PwD is safe and can walk around the premises as he/she wishes. The patients will be free to leave their rooms and go on walks within the Dementia village anytime or meet with other patients, or visit them in their rooms. While they are allowed to go freely, the manual and camera surveillance system takes care of safety.
- Instead of residing in 16 bed Nightingale wards the PwD lives in well appointed rooms. A set of rooms constitutes a block and the blocks have been created to suit the gender, social background and stage of the disease of the PwD.
- There is a walking street in the Dementia Village and it has a departmental store, a coffee shop, a post office and other places for the PwD to visit. These are PwD caring facilities and not real business etablishments. The PwDs can go for shopping and can purchase what is available. Even a bill is provided to them. PwD can take the goods to the ward. After a while, caregivers can distract the PwD, presumably taking advantage of the fact that they have forgotten where they were going, and bring the goods (or the empty pack) back inside the departmental store.
- A restaurant will be managed by one of the staff. It functions from 10.30 in the morning to 12 noon AND 4.00 TO 6.00 in the evening. This restaurant would not have general menu. Instead a PwD specific menu card would be prepared in consultation with the nutritionist and for reference of the restaurant keeper. Parents are offered menu to eat as per the prescription of the nutritionist and the same is provided as per the prescribed quantity.
- PwD can get their hair styled at the saloon. They can visit the saloon any number of times. At each visit their hair is styled
- PwD can see a movie or do anything else that the “Village” offers. They can buy fruits or take any news paper or magazine.
- These shops and amenities will be operated by chefs, waiters and other employees who aren’t health-care professionals. They’re trained to deal with dementia patients. All of the shopkeepers and other employees at the village are trained to deal with PwD.
- The workers at Dementia Village act as cashiers and post office clerks. But no real transactions take place. No money exchange takes place.
