Kerala’s first startup for dementia patients help them regain lost memories

An 85-year-old woman, a retired college professor, had been living happily in a retirement home. Slowly, days and places began disappearing from her mind. She stopped talking to others and stayed aloof in her room as anxiety and confusion gripped her. Her family quickly recognised these symptoms of dementia and contacted Ease Dementia Technology. Ease Dementia’s activity-based sessions that stimulate the brain and memory, as well as their group therapies and performances, helped the former teacher regain her memories.

Sharpening your memory
Ease Dementia Neurocognitive Clinic and Active Ageing Centre, located at the Thykoodam Metro Station in Ernakulam, offers comprehensive training and guidance to help you retain your memories. The centre promises to help people who have an early stage of dementia by stimulating their intellect and memory through training sessions and activities. For this, a special syllabus has been prepared according to international standards and guidelines with the help of expert doctors. Special training sessions are also available for people without dementia to sharpen their memory and intellect. People above 55 years would be screened by a group comprising of experts and doctors before designing the training program.

Retirement and dementia
Kochi-based Ease Dementia is Kerala’s first startup that functions in this field. The startup focuses its syllabus extensively on the scientific research and studies that recommend activities that keep the brain and memory active as an effective way to control dementia, rather than medicines. Ease Dementia was started in 2023 by Jolly Jose Painadath, Amritha P Varghese and PJ Snijo. Ease Dementia Technology was even included in Forbes India’s list of companies and startups that have the potential to grow globally.

Jolly Jose Painadath, cofounder and CEO of Ease Dementia Technology, says that their survey has found that 20 per cent of people suffer from dementia or memory loss because of the anxiety about their lives after retirement. He notes that there is a notable difference between the memory loss that happens due to old age and dementia.

Survival through fun activities
The services that are provided for dementia patients and people with a potential risk of having dementia in the future have been designed based on the international guidelines, including the World Health Organisation. The special package offered at the centre in Kochi includes activity books that include fun activities, math problems and painting, journal to record the memories of each day, a creative kit with interesting games, a nostalgia book that helps to recall old memories, games kit for arts and craft and AR – VR therapy that strengthens the brain and body through digital games. This training package has already received the approval of expert doctors.

East Dementia Technology offers its services in districts between Pathanamthitta and Kannur. They have provided services to more than 600 dementia patients until now. Currently, they are training more than 100 people. Besides, the centre also offers special training for people who care for dementia patients.