Born from Anguish. Built on Hope.
In India, over 1 crore people are living with dementia. Their care falls almost entirely on family — on daughters, sons, spouses, and siblings who love them deeply and are struggling profoundly, often in silence.
DIA was not founded in a boardroom. It was born from the lived anguish of family carers who had been through it themselves — who knew what it meant to watch someone they loved disappear into dementia, without a roadmap, without support, and without anyone to call. It was also built by organizations that had spent decades on the frontlines of dementia care in India, and who knew exactly how broken the system was.
Together, in 2023, they came to the same conclusion: India needed a national alliance that would refuse to accept the status quo. That would fight for every family. That would bring help and hope to persons with dementia and their family carers.
There is no cure for dementia. In its absence, the impact on individuals and families is profound and relentless. People living with dementia experience severe memory loss, disorientation, difficulty with everyday tasks, and a gradual withdrawal from the social world they once inhabited. For their families, this means witnessing someone they love change beyond recognition — while simultaneously becoming their full-time carer, often with no training, no break, and no end in sight.
"The physical exhaustion is manageable. It is the loneliness — the feeling that no one else understands what this is like — that breaks you."
The toll is immense. Family carers sacrifice careers, income, relationships, and their own health. Their quality of life erodes quietly, without acknowledgement, without support, and without the recognition they deserve.
What are we up against?
1. Lack of awareness
2. Stigma
3. Fear of Diagnosis
4. Lack of effective diagnosis and treatment
5. Lack of care pathways
6. Dearth of services and trained professionals
7. Low availability of trained caregivers
8. Therapeutic nihilism
9. No national dementia plan
10. Fragmented Support
The VISION of Dementia India Alliance (DIA) strives to be bi-focal - in its nature and scope. It aspires to be SPECIFIC & PRECISE in the intent, actions and behaviors of its employees - while retaining the clarity of DIA's ongoing long-term legacy.
This VISION consists of DIA's
> PURPOSE (Why We Exist)
> MISSIONs (What We Do)
> CULTURE (Who We are)
Our PURPOSE (Why We Exist)
To bring help and hope to persons with dementia and their family caregivers
Our MISSIONS (What We Do)
1. SERVICES: We will build, deliver and improve Services to bring Help and Hope
2. PARTNERSHIPS to expand the Scale of our Impact
3. BLUE BUTTON MOVEMENT to fight Stigma and raise the Standards of Dementia Care
Our CULTURE (Who We Are)
In interactions with key stakeholders such as DIA beneficiaries, colleagues, Outreach Partners, donors and Governing Body / Advisory Board members a DIA employee will strive to demonstrate behaviours consistent with our VALUES:
1. Better Together
2. You First
3. Compassion
4. Purposeful Innovation
DIA's VIsion Document >>
The Blue Button
At the heart of our identity lies a simple, everyday act: buttoning a shirt. For most of us, it is effortless. But for a person living with dementia, this small act can become one of the earliest challenges. Buttoning requires memory, coordination, sequencing, and focus—abilities that gradually decline with the progression of the condition. What was once automatic becomes uncertain.
This is where our story begins. The button in our logo represents memory—the foundation of daily life. The interwoven mark in between symbolizes alliances and networks—families, caregivers, professionals, and communities coming together in support. The crest form evokes help and hope, a shield of care that surrounds individuals and families navigating dementia. Together, these elements form more than a symbol. They represent a journey—from the loss of independence in small, intimate moments to the collective strength that steps in to support, restore dignity, and offer reassurance.
Because in dementia care, even something as small as a button carries profound meaning.
