Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at The Alzheimer's Disease Association's 25th Anniversary Symposium “Towards a Dementia-Friendly Singapore”

Dr Ang Peng Chye, President, Alzheimer’s Disease Association,

Mr Glenn Rees, Chairman, Alzheimer’s Disease International,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning to all of you.

Introduction

I am very happy to be here at the Alzheimer’s Disease Association’s (ADA) “Towards a dementia-friendly Singapore” symposium.

2.    I would like to first congratulate ADA on its 25^th anniversary. It is indeed a milestone for the Association which pioneered the first dementia day care centre in Singapore in 1990.

3.    Globally, there are now some 46.8 million people living with dementia and this number is expected to double every 20 years, according to The Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI)’s World Alzheimer Report 2015 titled ‘The Global Impact of Dementia’.

4.    In Singapore, the prevalence of dementia is about 10% amongst the elderly 60 years and above. With a rapidly ageing population, dementia is certainly an issue that we as a society should pay more attention to, going forward.

A Dementia-friendly Singapore

5.    To help Singaporeans age successfully, we must be a dementia friendly city. We hope to address the challenges of dementia holistically, on a few fronts.

6.    First, we want to partner community organisations to reach out to and encourage seniors here to stay active and socially engaged so as to delay or even reduce the risk of dementia. Take for instance, the FOCUS programme developed by Trans Centre and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). This programme aims to create opportunities for residents aged 50 years and above to develop talents and strengths, to learn new skills and knowledge and to build meaningful relationships. Through various activities in the programme, we hope to foster greater social connectedness and help to delay the onset of dementia. 

7.    Moving forward, the government plans to launch a National Silver Academy to provide our seniors with more learning opportunities in the community, to enable them to stay cognitively engaged. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will also launch a National Senior’s Preventive Health programme to bring healthy lifestyle activities closer to seniors in the community, and cover key aspects such as nutrition, physical activity, and how to reduce the risk of dementia and stroke.

8.    Second, we want to expand outreach and services for persons with dementia and their caregivers. MOH and AIC have been working with Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) to reach out to seniors within the community and share with them signs and symptoms of dementia, so that more timely interventions and support could be provided for individuals with dementia. We have set up ten outreach teams to date, and reached out to more than 32,000 seniors island-wide.

9.    At the same time, we are also increasing the capacity of our services such as senior care centres, home care, nursing homes, respite care and caregiver support services to manage and support persons with dementia as well as their caregivers. We have put in place 650 dementia day care places and expanded our home-based caregiver respite services such as the Eldersit programme.

10.    Today, VWOs such as ADA provide strong caregiver support through various initiatives such as the Eldersit programme and home intervention programmes, caregiver support groups and helplines. ADA’s home intervention team conducted home visits to provide a listening ear to the caregivers and advise them on communication skills to better manage the challenging behaviours of their loved ones. ADA’s day care centre can also provide short term care for dementia patients and allow their caregivers some time for respite. Through such services, we hope to support caregivers to overcome the challenges they face in caring for their loved ones.

11.    Third, we are building more dementia-friendly facilities. MOH has been incorporating dementia-friendly designs in various hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes which allow for more personal space and therapeutic areas for persons with dementia. These institutions are also actively training their care staff to be competent in dementia care.

12.    Beyond healthcare facilities, we are also building more senior-friendly urban infrastructure under the Action Plan for Successful Ageing. For example, MOH is now working with NParks to pilot therapeutic gardens with dementia-friendly features.

13.    We also want to equip more care workers with the relevant skills and knowledge in dementia care. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) offers a range of courses on dementia care through their Learning Institute, from basic courses such as the Mental Health First Aid for Older Persons, to the more advanced courses such as Equipping the Trainer in Dementia Care and the ITE-ISC Certificate in Health care (Dementia care) training programme. Enhancing the capability of our care workers is key to effective care for persons with dementia.

14.    Fourth, we want to partner the people and corporate sectors to create more dementia friendly “communities of care”. While it is important for us to improve on the “hardware”, it is even more important for us to foster stronger community support and create dementia-friendly communities. This will help reduce the stigma associated with dementia, and improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

15.    A dementia-friendly community aims to empower people with dementia by raising awareness and building a physical environment to allow easier navigation for both people with dementia, their caregivers and the residents. AIC and Alexandra Health System (AHS) are piloting a dementia-friendly community in Chong Pang. They have reached out to community partners, schools, the police and retailers to share with them about identifying the symptoms of dementia and how to provide help and assistance to persons with dementia. With the success of this pilot, we hope to develop more dementia-friendly communities in other parts of Singapore.

16.    Finally, we will be investing in research into cognition. Research and innovation will be a game changer in transforming the experience of ageing in Singapore. Take for example, a study on exercise in healthy older adults was conducted by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the Department of Psychology, NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The study suggests that physical activities could lead to improved cognitive function in older adults, even when the intervention period is relatively short. Participants in the aerobic exercise group demonstrated significant improvements in the cognitive domains of language and attention as compared to the control groups. These findings can be translated into active ageing programmes to help improve cognitive function or delay the onset of dementia.

17.    Moving forward, we want to excite and create more opportunities for translational research in Singapore, especially in cognition. In late August this year, we announced the National Innovation Challenge (NIC) on Active and Confident Ageing as part of the Action Plan for Successful Ageing. Our next NIC grant call will be launched next month will focus on cognition. Through this NIC, we are encouraging a multi-disciplinary approach in catalysing translational research and innovations to improve cognitive functions and delay the onset of dementia in older adults. At the same time, we want to transform the models of care to provide quality as well as cost-effective care for seniors with dementia in the community.

Conclusion

18.    This is an ongoing journey and this Symposium on ‘Towards a Dementia Friendly Singapore’ is an excellent platform for experts to share ideas, to collaborate and to partner in our efforts in creating a dementia-friendly Singapore. We are privileged to have experts like Mr Glenn Rees, the Chairman of Alzheimer’s Disease International in Singapore and Prof. Richard Fleming from the University of Wollongong, to share their expertise and experiences in developing and building dementia friendly communities.

19.    In closing, I hope that ADI, ADA, MOH and many other stakeholders from the health and social sectors can continue to work together to make Singapore not only a green and clean city but also a senior and dementia-friendly home for all of us. I look forward to your active participation by sharing your thoughts and ideas during the focus group discussions. I wish all of you a fruitful symposium.

20.    Thank you.