OPENING ADDRESS BY DR AMY KHOR, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH, THE 4TH SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL NEUROCOGNITIVE SYMPOSIUM OPENING CEREMONY, 27 MARCH 2015

Associate Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Medical Director of the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI),

Dr Nagaendran Kandiah, Chairman of the Organising Committee,

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.    A very good morning to you. I am sorry that I am not able to join you here today at the opening ceremony of the 4^th Singapore International Neurocognitive Symposium.

2.    As our population ages, Singapore is likely to see an increase in the number of people suffering from dementia-related conditions. For example, a recent study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) on the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WISE), found that the prevalence of dementia amongst seniors aged 60 years and above could be as much as 10%.

3.    Realising this, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is working to beef up our capability to support seniors with dementia. Early recognition and intervention is key to providing adequate care and support for our patients. To this end, it is essential for healthcare professionals and community care providers to keep abreast of knowledge and skills to better detect and manage dementia.

4.    Caring for dementia patients can be challenging in many ways, in view of the progressive and unpredictable nature of the disease. Caregivers often struggle to cope with their loved ones’ changing behaviours and symptoms. Hence, we must not neglect their needs.

5.    It is also timely that the theme for this year’s conference, “Connecting the Dots – From Young to Old”, is a reminder that neurological or neurodegenerative conditions can afflict younger patients too.

Expanding infrastructure, increasing service capacity and primary care partnerships

6.    MOH is actively building up service capacities across the intermediate and long term care sectors such as day dementia spaces. We will continue to enhance the partnership between primary and tertiary care providers, to co-manage patients within the community.

7.    For example, specialists from the Regional Health Systems aim to partner GPs to manage dementia clients within the community. We would encourage more primary care providers such as GPs to be actively involved in our shared care programme which offers opportunities for training and collaboration with our tertiary and community partners.

8.    We will also enhance the capability in public hospitals and the community for seniors requiring assessment for dementia. To date, we have expanded capacity in 6 outpatient memory clinics in the public hospitals to provide early assessment and intervention for dementia patients.

Creating Awareness and Early Identification of Dementia

9.    Let me move on now to awareness and early identification of dementia within the community and how we are strengthening efforts in this area. Healthcare institutions have come forward to organise public events to educate Singaporeans and imbue them with greater knowledge about various aspects of dementia. This includes highlighting the early warning signs to look out for. MOH will be expanding more outreach teams from voluntary welfare organisations and senior activity centres nationally over the next few years in order to engage and provide support such as befriending and service linkage for our seniors.

Young Onset Dementia

10.    When it comes to Young Onset Dementia, the causes of dementia among younger patients from 45 to 65 years can be different from those who are older. Persons with Young Onset Dementia can suffer from greater social and economic burden as they may still be working and have families to support. For such patients, there will inevitably be a greater need for education, counselling and social support services.

11.    To better understand the needs of patients with Young Onset Dementia, the National Medical Research Council has provided $1.5M funding support for a study which aims to comprehensively characterise patients with Young Onset Dementia in Singapore from a clinical, pathophysiological and health-economic perspective. The outcomes of the study will be crucial for policy makers in projecting long-term resource requirements for dementia.

Caregiver Support – Launch of the ESTEEM Programme

12.    Finally, for the caregivers, services such as our centre-based weekend respite programme and the Eldersit programme, allow caregivers to have some time away from their caregiving duties to rest or attend to other matters with a peace of mind. These services provide basic eldercare and support for clients by engaging them in meaningful activities which promote cognitive stimulation and function.

13.    On this note, I am delighted to announce a brand new initiative that NNI and the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) will be jointly launching today, which is the Early Stimulation, Exercise and Emotional Support for Young Onset Dementia, or the ESTEEM Programme in short. This will establish a dementia-friendly setting for patients and caregivers, by providing day-care therapeutic activities for patients, and relief for caregivers.

Conclusion

14.    In closing, I would like to thank the Organising Committee, sponsors and supporters for making this symposium a possibility. I would like to thank medical professionals, such as our colleagues from NNI, as well as community partners, such as ADA, for their commitment and achievements in managing dementia on a comprehensive and holistic scale. I am confident that our joint efforts will continue to cater to the growing needs of dementia patients and their caregivers.

15.    Thank you and have a pleasant day.