Debated in Parliament on 25 Feb 2021.
Ms Raeesah Khan asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry intends to (i) increase the number of dementia-friendly communities (DFCs) beyond 15 to provide greater community-based support and (ii) expand the number of on-demand, home-based interventions as an alternative to care centres, to allow persons with dementia to live more independently and relieve care-giver stress.
The Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care have to date set up 10 Dementia-Friendly Communities (DFCs), and we will set up another five DFCs this year. These DFCs have reached out to over 102,000 people to raise awareness on dementia and provide information on how to communicate with and support persons with dementia and their care-givers.
In addition to the DFCs, we have also expanded the network of Go-To Points (GTPs) in the community to over 300 nationwide, to serve as dementia resource centres and "safe return" points in the community.
If there is a need for additional capacity, we will work with our partners to scale up the DFCs and GTPs. We will continue to provide a supportive environment for persons with dementia and their care-givers.
We will also expand the supply of home-based care services, such as home medical, home nursing and home personal care services in line with the growing needs of frail and home-bound patients who require assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), including persons with dementia. In addition, we will continue to evolve our home-based interventions to meet seniors' changing needs. For example, we have worked with Social Service Agencies to set up community outreach teams who conduct home visits to clients with dementia and their care-givers, to provide them with information on dementia care, basic emotional support, and to connect them with social and health services as needed. We have also piloted the Integrated Home and Day Care programme that allows individuals, including clients with dementia, flexibility to receive home-based care services, centre-based care services, or a combination of both, to cater to their unique care needs.
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