Seriousness Of Problem: Prevalence Of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is the most common neurological disorder that usually affects those aged 65 and above. It is incurable, progressive and currently affects around 27,000 in Singapore, with that number expected to multiply to 187,000 in 2050 with Singapore’s ageing population. There is a general lack of understanding of what Alzheimer’s is, with many attributing it to be “a normal part of ageing”. Also, symptoms of Alzheimer’s include behavioural mood swings, which cause problems and misunderstandings in a public setting. Lack of understanding and awareness of Alzheimer’s, has shown it has lead to greater conflict and discord amongst members of public and alienation of people in our society with Alzheimer’s, with its increasing prevalence, resulting in a crisis to the People with Alzheimer’s (PwAs) in our society.

Difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Dementia is a brain disorder, impacting one’s communication and ability to perform daily activities. With Alzheimer’s causing majority of all dementia cases, there is insufficient outreach done for specifically Alzheimer’s-induced dementia compared to just dementia in general, thus greater efforts are needed in raising awareness about the symptoms and consequences of Alzheimer’s and how to help these PwAs.

Potential Consequences: Social Problems of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is often associated with a negative connotation, such as aggressiveness and their inability to function normally, resulting in PwAs worried about facing social stigma. Thus, the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s can lead to the uprise of discrimination and exclusion of PwAs from members of public. That can cause friction and misunderstandings in public settings. Addressing this situation will allow greater social support and understanding of Alzheimer’s from members of public, enabling PwAs to live as normal of a life as they can.

Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA)

As the only non-governmental Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) that specifically targets those with Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) runs various programmes and services, such as Caregiver Support Centres (CSC), for those living with Alzheimer’s, and training workshops for caregivers and domestic helpers.

Guardians of Memory: A Call for Heroes

Guardians of Memory: A Call for Heroes is a campaign launched by ADA to encourage donations and support their activities and PwA. However, there are no tangible details on how the money donated will help the beneficiary and appeal for donors are generalized and not targeted.

Remember Me: World Alzheimer’s Month

Remember Me: World Alzheimer’s Month includes a series of talks and workshops targeted towards the general public to know more about dementia and its symptoms. However, there are comparatively few outreach events, talks and workshops compared to the total amount of events they hold, due to the lack of resources and manpower acknowledged by ADA.

Insufficient Outreach towards Members of Public due to lack of manpower and resources

Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) have insufficient resources and manpower for outreach and education efforts for the public about Alzheimer’s. Their main and only large scale outreach event is during World Alzheimer’s Month held yearly, and are unable to expand due to the strain on manpower and resources, causing the general public to have many misconceptions about Alzheimer’s and Dementia that are left unaddressed due to the lack of understanding and outreach.

Lack of Understanding from friends and family of People with Alzheimer’s (PwA)

Friends and family of People with Alzheimer’s (PwA), who have more opportunities to interact with PwAs than members of public, are not adequately informed about how they can better understand the behaviours of PwAs, as there are no such courses targeted towards friends and family in ADA, with only support groups for caregivers.

Desired Outcomes

The lack of understanding of Alzheimer’s amongst the public is a severe problem as it can lead to the uprise of discrimination and exclusion of PwAs from members of public, causing friction and misunderstandings in public settings. To combat this problem, a combination of the campaign and instructional approach targeted towards the general public age 40 and above, as they will be more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s with age (vast majority of Alzheimer’s cases are after 65 years of age), can be used.

The main desired outcomes are: Raise awareness, develop empathy, increase social and community support, inclusiveness amongst the general public towards PwAs. Increase understanding on what Alzheimer’s and dementia is, reduce exclusion and discrimination against PwAs through actionable outcomes amongst the general public and friends and family of PwAs.