Hi there!

Welcome to the July issue of With You in Mind, a newsletter by Dementia Singapore in collaboration with The Straits Times.

In this issue, we spotlight a new initiative that brings hope and practical support to seniors and their caregivers. About 800 older adults with mild or no cognitive impairment, and the people caring for them, will benefit from a dementia prevention programme called IMPRESS-MIND2S. Backed by a $3 million grant under the National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing, the programme will be rolled out to 14 active ageing centres by 2029, starting with a pilot at NTUC Health’s Redhill centre in August 2025.

Led by healthcare cluster SingHealth, the programme offers a multi-pronged approach: community nurses will carry out screenings, while participants receive personalised health coaching, join physical activity sessions and train their memory using user-friendly tablets called SilverPads. Importantly, caregivers won’t be left out – they’ll receive education, respite referrals and peer support to help ease the burden of care.

As Singapore’s population ages rapidly, plans are under way to ensure that every senior has a single point of contact for community care. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced a move towards integrated care, where providers across active ageing centres, day care, home personal care and rehabilitation services will work as one coordinated network. This will allow seniors to transition more smoothly between services depending on their health needs, whether they are well, managing chronic illness or require support at home.

Mr Ong also outlined three key shifts: stronger coordination among providers, greater accessibility to community health services and deeper outreach to reach every senior, especially those living alone. These changes aim to support seniors at every stage of ageing, from prevention and disease management to recovery and end-of-life care.

But even as services expand, many seniors continue to struggle with emotional challenges such as loneliness, anxiety and depression. The Aces Care HelpLife helpline, launched in 2022, has seen a steady rise in calls from older adults seeking not just help with practical tasks, but also someone to talk to.

Staffed mostly by trained senior volunteers, the helpline provides emotional support, basic counselling and referrals to professional services when needed. With more than 7,000 calls received and nearly 14,700 follow-ups made, it highlights the vital role that community and connection play in supporting mental well-being in later life.