Number of dementia cases set to soar

Health Minister spells out three-pronged plan to help tackle the issue

By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 11 May 2012

BY 2030, the number of dementia patients is expected to top 80,000, up from 28,000 today.

This means that one in 15 Singapore residents aged 60 and above is likely to suffer from the condition where brain cells die at a faster rate than normal. Sufferers will face a decline in mental ability, such as memory loss.

Giving the 2030 projection for the first time yesterday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said Singapore has started preparing for the expected swelling ranks of dementia patients caused by an ageing population.

'We need to act now to improve public and professional understanding of dementia,' he said, 'and to enhance the quality of care and support provided to patients and their caregivers.'

Mr Gan, who is also the minister in charge of ageing policies, was speaking at the Annual Singapore Conference on Ageing organised by the Gerontological Society and National University Health System's Department of Psychological Medicine.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) had previously projected that 50,000 Singapore residents are likely to have dementia by 2020.

The risk of dementia increases with age. For example, the National Health Survey 2010 released last year found that one in 16 seniors aged 65 and above has dementia. For those aged above 75, the risk doubles to one in eight.

In his speech yesterday, Mr Gan spelt out a three-pronged plan to help seniors and their families cope.

First, the Health Ministry will identify patients early through screening and public outreach programmes.

'Prevention and early intervention plays a vital role in managing mental health problems in the elderly,' Mr Gan said.

To step up public outreach, the HPB aims to recruit 4,000 seniors as health ambassadors. The volunteers will help other seniors stay active in their twilight years and prepare them for the problems of ageing, which include maintaining mental wellness.

The minister pledged to give more help to caregivers. The Health Ministry will expand its ongoing programmes with the Alzheimer's Disease Association so that more caregivers are trained and given counselling to cope with caregiving.

The ministry will also work with voluntary welfare organisations to roll out more holistic services for the elderly in the community.

This will help the seniors 'age in place', said Mr Gan.

To help doctors identify dementia patients early, he announced that public hospitals will boost the ability of their outpatient memory clinics to diagnose such patients.

A Health Ministry spokesman told The Straits Times that these clinics in public hospitals now see about 1,450 new patients yearly.

By 2016, they will be able to cope with some 3,000 new cases each year, double the present capacity.

The announcement was welcomed by graduate student Yap Kai Zhen, who was at the conference.

'Early diagnosis means earlier intervention to slow down the illness, and there will be better quality of life for the patient,' said Ms Yap, a researcher on ageing issues in the National University of Singapore.

Mr Wee Char Lee is already seeing more seniors with dementia turning up at the Sarah Senior Activity Centre in Bukit Merah, where he is chairman.

'They come to the centre and just sit down, forgetting why they turned up,' said the sprightly 85-year-old.

The centre's volunteers will take these elders to the polyclinics so that the doctors can refer them to the memory clinics, he added.

Yesterday, the 300 participants at the conference also observed a minute of silence to remember active ageing champion Henry Lim.

Mr Lim, president of the Gerontological Society for nine years, died in March after a heart attack.

A lecture at the Annual Singapore Conference on Ageing now pays tribute to him, with Harvard professor John Growdon delivering the Henry Lim Lecture yesterday.

Plan to help seniors and their families cope with dementia:

1 The Health Ministry (MOH) will identify dementia patients early through screening and public outreach programmes.

2 More help to caregivers. MOH will expand its ongoing programmes with the Alzheimer's Disease Association so that more caregivers are trained and counselled.

3 The ministry will work with voluntary welfare organisations to roll out more services for the elderly in the community.

S'pore average lifespan longer by more than a year
Improved data seen as a result of advancements in medical care and better quality of life
By Salma Khalik, The Straits Times, 11 May 2012

THE average longevity of Singaporeans has gone up by more than a year.

In the latest Complete Life Tables compiled by the Department of Statistics Singapore (SingStat), the data showed that someone born last year can expect to live 82 years, up from the 80.3 years for those born in 2006.

The data also showed that the average longevity of those over 65 is lengthening as well. For example, someone who was 65 last year can expect to live another 20.2 years, up from 18.9 years in 2006.

These life tables, compiled annually, are a projection, and the ones for last year are preliminary, said a SingStat report.

The report noted that the figures released yesterday 'give an indication of the average longevity of the population, but do not necessarily reflect the longevity of an individual'.

Reacting to this yesterday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who also heads the Ministerial Committee on Ageing (MCA), said: 'Living longer is a good thing, but it is equally important that we stay healthy, remain active and be engaged.

'If as a society we promote and practise active ageing, we can certainly add life to years, and not merely add years to life.'

Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State for Health, who is also on the MCA, said the longer lives Singaporeans are now living has a lot to do with better diet and lifestyle.

People are more educated and know how to look after themselves, she said.

'Advancements in medical care, and better chronic disease management, would also have contributed to the longer lifespan. All things being equal, longer lifespans should also mean more healthy years, although age itself brings ailments of its own, however meticulously a person watches his own health, though these could be delayed somewhat.'

Dr Wong Sweet Fun, a senior consultant in geriatric medicine at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, said: 'The fact that Singaporeans are living a better quality of life and looking after themselves better could have translated into the statistically longer lifespan, as compared to 2006.'

He added that it is important for the elderly not only to have a healthy diet, but also to remain physically active and engaged socially.

Mr Gan said that as people live longer, 'there is also a need to tackle issues of aged care provision and affordability'.

He added: 'If seniors in the future are proactive in managing their health, they can live long and live well.'