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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 19 September 2016

Jason Foo, the CEO of ADA (Alzheimer’s Disease Association), Singapore, shares his views on the rising levels of the disease, how personalised treatment can help and also how spreading awareness can remove the existing stigma.

What are the possible reasons for increase in Young onset dementia? (Is there a difference between Young onset dementia and early onset dementia?)

Young Onset Dementia (YOD) and Early Onset Dementia (EOD) refer to the same condition which is dementia affecting people below the age of 65. I prefer the term YOD because EOD is often confused with early stage dementia. Dementia has 3 main stages – mild or early-stage, moderate and severe.

Doctors are still not able to determine the reason for the increase in YOD but I personally think that it could be due to our current lifestyle – richer diets, lack of physical activity and more stress at work.

Not many people may know much about Alzheimer’s except that it’s a neuro degenerative disease. Can you describe what Alzheimer’s is.

‘Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks’ - National Institute of Ageing (US).

Looking for more understanding on Alzheimer's: Read here  

Can you share a little more on the progress of the DFC (Dementia Friendly Communities??) initiative?

The DFC initiative/project is led by the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care. ADA is one of the partners supporting the DFC project. So far, the DFC project has been rolled out in Chong Pang, Hong Kah North and MacPherson. There are plans to roll it out to more constituencies towards the end of this year or early next year. The DFC project involves training Dementia Friends and Dementia Champions in the community to support people with dementia and their caregivers, as well as setting up Go To Points where people can get help and information.
 
What are the challenges in the progress?

It is very resource intensive to train the community such as retailers, shopkeepers, hawkers, bank tellers, supermarket staff, students, etc to be aware of and understand dementia so that they can provide the required support and help when they come in contact with someone living with dementia.
 
What are the learnings so far?

What we have learned so far is that the project has definitely created greater awareness of dementia and got more people interested in learning about dementia and its impact on the community.

If you want to learn more dementia and support the dementia friendly community, you should download the Forget Us Not free E-Book in English and Mandarin.  

What have been the learnings of the use of complementary therapy for dementia care in Singapore - Horticulture, Art therapy, Music therapy, Dance therapy?

We have found that different therapies have different impact or effect on persons with dementia (PWDs). Some are attracted to music and dance while others could be interested in art. By providing a variety of therapy, we are providing options to the PWDs and catering to their personal interests and preferences. This is what is commonly referred to as Person-Centred Care which actually means individualised approach to care.

What would you suggest people can do to prevent getting Alzheimer’s/dementia?

Its not clear how someone can prevent Alzheimer's or Dementia but they can definitely do the following to reduce risk:

  • Look after your heart.
  • Be physically active.
  • Follow a healthy diet.
  • Challenge your brain frequently.
  • Keep up your social activities.

What can families of Alzheimer’s patients do for them, to help them physically, emotionally and mentally?

  • Make the person with dementia (PWD) feel that he/she is still a valued member of the family.
  • Deliver care and support according to the needs of the PWD. Provide help where needed but don’t do everything for them.
  • Focus on their remaining abilities and not what is lost.
  • Consider the person, not the disease.

How do you measure the level of awareness in dementia? What are the next steps to improve this level of awareness?

It is difficult to measure the level of awareness in dementia. We can only get indications whether the level of awareness has increased or not. We get such indications when more people are interested to attend talks about dementia, when there is more press and media coverage and when more people on social media start discussing dementia.

I think the next step to improve the level of awareness is via social media as most people, especially the younger generation, are all connected on social media and the reach is wide and fast.
 
What is ADA's wish this Alzheimer's awareness day?

There still is stigma about dementia so persons with dementia and their caregivers are reluctant to share the condition openly with relatives and friends. ADA’s wish is that as more people learn about dementia, the stigma will disappear and people with dementia can continue to live with respect and dignity in the community.

Check out http://www.alz.org.sg/  for more information on Alzheimer's Disease Association, Singapore and its activities 

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