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SINGAPORE: Senior citizens can guard against dementia and other mental illnesses linked to ageing with a new first aid kit.
The kit was launched by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) Sunday morning as part of an annual walk at East Coast Park.
It's a 12-week mental well-being programme - with workshops and activities to help boost memory, as well as information on the warning signs of dementia.
The programme will be tried out next month in Marine Parade, which has a higher number of the elderly.
A recent study found that it has more residents at risk of dementia - of 7.8 per cent compared with the national level of 5.2 per cent.
About 20,000 people in Singapore who are aged 60 years and above suffer from dementia.
The number is expected to increase by about three-fold by 2020.
MP for East Coast GRC, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, who joined more than 4,000 participants at the walk, said dementia is a challenge not just for senior citizens, but for their caregivers as well.
"The speed at which the society is ageing is very, very fast. Once you provide the support structure in place, supporting the caretakers as well as the elderly, you'll probably be able to manage this onset of dementia, Alzheimer's...These are real issues that will face the society," said Dr Maliki.
HPB aims to reach out to 2,500 seniors in the pilot run.
It will then bring the programme to the rest of Singapore within three years and reach out to all senior citizens.
- CNA/cc
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