Dementia Colabs

We are all growing old. Some age gracefully; others with more challenges. Most of us also have the experience of caring for an old person whom we love.

Dementia is a condition that affects 1 in 10 Singaporeans above the age of 60, and the number is increasing rapidly each year. Although dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing, it is a degenerative condition that one has to live with for a very long time. This experience can be overwhelming for People or Persons Living with Dementia (PLWDs) and caregivers to navigate alone.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly ageing Singapore, there are many organisations from the private, public and community sector with a deep dedication to serving the needs of PLWDs. So much good work has been done, and still more need to be done to raise awareness, facilitate knowledge sharing, and galvanise cross-sector collaboration.

Through Colabs’ approach of collective learning, alignment and action, 85 stakeholders have come together for a series of conversations towards action around the following aspiration statement:

How might we create a whole-of-society response for a dementia-inclusive Singapore?

Read on to discover the key findings from this extensive engagement, along with many useful resources, to discover the journey of PLWDs, the caregivers and what we can all do towards a dementia-inclusive Singapore.

Executive Summary

If you are short on time, our Executive Summary distils key points from the full report. Check out the insights summary, stakeholder and issues maps, as well as the areas of opportunities.

The Full Report

We have consolidated the Colab series’ insights, findings and action projects into a full co-created report. As the dementia landscape is always evolving, creating a dementia-inclusive Singapore remains a work-in-progress.

Context [Chapter 1 – 2]
This section covers the complexity of living with dementia in Singapore, case studies of dementia-friendly communities, the aspiration statement and the approach for this series.

Insights [Chapter 3 – 4]
We look at the systems maps to highlight the complexity and to gain a deeper empathy of the dementia space. We also gathered 7 key insights that may inspire new approaches and interventions.

Solution Spaces [Chapter 5 – 6]
We formulated upstream and downstream challenge statements based on our insights. These statements inspired the participants to co-create 4 action projects which require stakeholders from multiple sectors to work together post-series as part of the Dementia Colabs Network.

Opportunities and Resources [Chapter 7]
A list of opportunities and resources for organisations, volunteers, funders and other members of the public to play their part in creating a dementia-inclusive Singapore.

Dementia Colabs Network

Through the Dementia Colabs series, an informal group of 30 cross-sector leaders were formed to create the Dementia Colabs Network. Stewarded by Dementia Singapore, this network aims to work towards a dementia-inclusive Singapore.

The network serves as a platform to convene and update each other on projects arising in the dementia space. Find out more about the different projects being developed through the Colabs series in the full report.