Jamiyah Home for the Aged in Tampines updates facilities and training to meet dementia challenge

SINGAPORE – An eldercare home in Tampines Avenue 3, which has been providing shelter for the homeless since 1996, is updating its facilities and training to meet the dementia challenge.

Jamiyah Home for the Aged has added a dedicated space to aid therapy. The Tangerine Room includes items such as old sewing machines and radios, to remind residents of their younger years.

The room will also host group activities with memory games, while a calming corner provides residents with a space to seek comfort should they feel anxious or overwhelmed.

The purpose-built facility, which is able to care for up to 200 residents, has dedicated spaces for medical care, physiotherapy and recreation.

A spokesperson for Jamiyah Singapore, which operates the Home, said about one in 10 of the 105 current residents has been diagnosed with dementia.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of symptoms dealing with a decline in cognitive abilities, such as memory and problem-solving, affecting more than 57 million people worldwide.

In Singapore, the second Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study by the Institute of Mental Health showed there were about 74,000 persons living with dementia here in 2023 – a figure that is expected to grow to 152,000 by 2030.

Speaking on Nov 7 at the Home as it marked its 30th anniversary, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said the Home’s mission is becoming increasingly important as Singapore’s population ages with one in four residents expected to be aged 65 and older by 2030.

The Home, also known as Darul Takrim, has provided shelter and care to destitute persons with nowhere else to turn since 1996. The Home caters to seniors of all races and religions.

“Some are frail, while others are still in good health but have no family or are estranged from them, with no job and no home to return to,” said a spokesperson for Jamiyah Singapore.

Jamiyah Singapore told The Straits Times that the room’s launch marks the start of a stronger focus on dementia care, with staff receiving structured dementia care training through a partnership with Changi General Hospital.

They also learned from other care providers as well as local and international experts, said Jamiyah president Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar.

Staff received training in dementia and psychogeriatric care, and developed cognitive and sensory activities that help those with dementia stay engaged and express themselves.

The Home will also build expertise in gerontology - the study of the ageing process - through specialised training and collaboration, and support residents who are able and ready to regain their independence and return to life in the community.

Mohd Hasbi said that the Home will also introduce technology such as AI-assisted fall detection to meet the needs of residents.

He added: “We intend to have dementia-centred programmes for residents and continue strengthening our staff’s skills so that every person living with dementia receives thoughtful, patient care.”

In his speech, Neo noted that Darul Takrim has shared its mission with the wider community, with schools, companies, mosques and grassroots groups visiting regularly to spend time with residents.

There is something special about interactions between young people and the elderly, he said.

For example, young people can teach seniors more about technology, such as using social media on a smartphone, while seniors can share “authentic life stories, lessons and experiences that no reel can convey”, he added.

“And when young persons and seniors come together, we nurture the gotong-royong spirit, and help build a ‘We First’ society, where we see one another better, empathise with one another better, and we aspire to do better for everyone, and not just ourselves,” said Neo.

The event on Nov 7 saw 10 medicine and nursing students receive $15,000 in total as part of the 5th Jamiyah Singapore – Dr Kutbuddin Medical Studies Award.

The award was established in 2022 in memory of the late Kutbuddin Dohadwala, who volunteered with Jamiyah for 50 years and helped set up the Jamiyah Free Medical Clinic in 1975.

He cared for Darul Takrim’s residents in its early years.

Two of the students received the main award of $3,500 each, while the others each received an encouragement award of $1,000.

Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.