Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital World Alzheimer's Day 2016, 17 September 2016

Clinical Associate Professor Thomas Lew,
Chairman, Medical Board,
Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Associate Professor Chin Jing Jih,
Director, Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing,
Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Mr Jason Foo,
Chief Executive Officer, Alzheimer's Disease Association

Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

1.        Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you here today in commemorating World Alzheimer’s Month.  I am pleased to see many of you coming together as a community to better understand dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, and more importantly to deal with it together. I would also like to express my appreciation to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) for jointly organising today’s event. Such efforts are important in promoting greater awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease, which is a leading cause of dementia. 

DEMENTIA IN SINGAPORE

2.        Singapore is ageing rapidly. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 years and above. With one in 10 seniors aged 60 years and above estimated to have dementia, the number of seniors with dementia is set to increase in the coming years as our population ages.

3.        We have to better prepare ourselves to support our seniors with dementia. Many seniors we have spoken to want to age in place in an environment that they are familiar with and surrounded by their loved ones. We are working hard to partner caregivers and the community to create a dementia-friendly Singapore that can help our seniors realise this aspiration, if and when they develop dementia. 

CARING FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA

4.        We are supporting our healthcare institutions and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to make care for persons with dementia more accessible. Over the last 5 years, we have expanded the capacity of memory clinics by 77 percent so that seniors have access to early identification and diagnosis. Timely diagnosis is an important aspect of the management of the illness.

5.        We are also enhancing primary care to provide better support for seniors with dementia within the community. For example, we have set up dementia shared care teams in partnership with specialists, to support and complement Family Physicians (FPs) and General Practitioners (GPs) in caring for patients and their caregivers. GPs are also supported by Community intervention teams (COMIT) which provide psycho-social counselling and education for patients and their caregivers.

6.        Beyond these, we are expanding the range of care options available in the community. By 2020, we will add another 2,000 dementia day care places, up from about 1,000 places today. We are also upgrading our nursing homes and community hospitals such as St. Andrew’s Community Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital to be more dementia-friendly so as to provide more person-centred care.

7.        Beyond hardware, we are also developing the software to care for these patients. Since 2014, most doctors undergoing specialty training are required to take part in a Geriatric medicine modular training programme, which includes a module that covers dementia. Through this module, our specialist doctors will be better equipped in recognising the signs and symptoms of dementia as well as to care for such patients. We are also working with the Family Medicine fraternity to enhance post graduate training of family doctors to equip them with enhanced geriatric skills including management of dementia.

SUPPORTING PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA IN THE COMMUNITY

8.        Even as we work hard to provide accessible care services for seniors with dementia, it is equally important for us to work with the community to create an eco-system of care so that seniors with dementia can continue to enjoy their golden years in the community.

9.        Caregivers are often the unsung heroes in caring for persons with dementia, and they too need support from the community. We have introduced nursing home respite care programmes in at least 20 nursing homes for short overnight stays. We have also provided training subsidies for caregivers through the annual Caregivers’ Training Grant. On this note, I am encouraged to see VWOs like the ADA come forward in supporting caregivers. ADA runs four full-day and two half-day day care centres providing respite for caregivers. This includes ADA’s Family of Wisdom programme, where caregivers take part in the day care sessions with their loved ones with dementia, and provide mutual support. Its Eldersit Service also brings respite services to the doorsteps of the seniors’ homes by engaging seniors in activities while the caregiver is given some time off to rest or run errands. ADA also provides help and support for families in crisis situations, as well as day-to-day support such as counselling sessions and support groups.

10.        It takes a village to support seniors with dementia living in the community. To date, we have started five dementia-friendly communities in Hong Kah North, MacPherson, Queenstown, Bedok, and Chong Pang. This is a ground up movement where residents, businesses and services in the neighbourhood come together to better understand dementia and care for seniors in the community. There are also “Go-To Points” in the community that serve as safe return points for seniors to reunite with their family and caregivers when they are lost or unable to find their way home.  We hope more Singaporeans can step forward and play a part in helping to build a dementia-friendly community. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has produced several resource kits such as the ‘Knowing Dementia’ Toolkit to help the public better understand dementia and raise its awareness.

SIMPLE TIPS TO DELAY THE ONSET OF DEMENTIA

11.        As we continue to plan ahead to care for persons with dementia, it is even more important to move upstream and minimise the risk of dementia by remaining cognitively active. This can be done in four simple steps.

12.        First, we should keep ourselves physically active by doing simple exercises such as brisk walking or participating in fitness classes at community clubs to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses which can contribute to the onset  of dementia. Second, we can stay mentally active by engaging in cognitive activities that help us stimulate our brains, such as reading, writing, playing Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Third, as social isolation can lead to cognitive decline, we need to remain socially engaged and be connected with our family, friends, and even the community. Last but not least, recognising the importance of good nutrition and making positive changes to our diet can promote well-being and reduce the risk of dementia. 

13.        In closing, I am heartened to see TTSH and ADA coming together to raise awareness of dementia and educational efforts to provide valuable knowledge to the community and caregivers.  I encourage you to take a walk around the carnival and participate in the exciting activities and games to learn more about dementia. As a community, we can do more to better support and care for seniors with dementia to age in place confidently and empower them to lead more meaningful lives.