Abstract
BACKGROUND: The COVID‐19 pandemic and associated restrictions have greatly affected the delivery of treatment and access to in‐person interventions for dementia, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries such as India. Technology use could potentially help bring the above‐mentioned services to persons with dementia (PwD) and their caregivers in the safety of their homes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the dementia care services delivered by the Dementia Care in SCARF (DEMCARES) team in the densely populated city of Chennai in South India during the COVID‐19 pandemic. METHODS: We reviewed teleconsultation logs, records of dementia‐related services and interventions offered to both PwD and their caregivers at the DEMCARES clinic between July 2020 and December 2021 during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Moreover, we collected feedback from PwD and caregivers regarding virtually delivered dementia interventions and analyzed them to understand benefits, barriers, and facilitators. RESULTS: In addition to in‐person outpatient clinic, teleconsultation for PwD and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia management training for caregivers through audio/videoconferencing was provided to those with access to technology. Interventions, such as STrAtegies for RelaTives (START) and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) that were originally delivered face‐to‐face, were adapted for virtual delivery to cater to the needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers in Chennai, India. Furthermore, dementia awareness course for caregivers and caregiver support groups were also conducted online. Feedback from PwD and their caregivers were largely positive, and the numbers reached were higher during the pandemic than before. CONCLUSION: Being situated in an urban setting, the DEMCARES team of professionals were able to reach many PwD and their caregivers who had access to technology. Despite some of its limitations, technology holds a great potential for providing uninterrupted treatment and interventions for dementia in addition to considerably improving access to care, especially during the pandemic.