This is the main article about dementia care in a clinic (ambulatory setting).
What is dementia?
It is a disease related to the degeneration (accelerated ageing) of the brain cells, causing the patient to lose function. This can be very hard to detect in the early stages. Overtime, the loss of function would be obvious, and the disease would probably have been there for a while.
Screening tests done at Zenith Medical Clinic:
- MoCA screening
Screening Form
Instructions
- We run it FREE OF CHARGE for our patients, but strictly by appointment only.
- If need be, patient will be referred to the doctor or sometimes specialists for further assessment.
Getting the ball rolling
As dementia can be quite a complex problem, especially when it happens in the elderly, doctors will usually take look at the full medical history, medications, social history and a lot of other information about the patient.
We will also start the conversation rolling by covering some care planning components:
- Advanced care planning (ACP), see our other article here
- Lasting power of attorney (LPA), see our other article here
- Advanced medical directive (AMD). Generally will be signed after we have covered the ACP conversation with the patient
- Medical insurance. We will help you fill some forms if the patient happens to be covered.
- Functional assessments such as ElderShield assessment or Pioneer Generation Disability Assessment, see here
It can take a long time sometimes, and we may have to see the patient over a few sessions.
Community Resources
Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA)
Key services provided by Alzheimer’s Disease Association:
- Day Care Services
- ‘Family of Wisdom’ Programme
- Modelled after a programme in Taiwan
- 3 hours
- “Shared caregiving”
- Eldersit Respite Care Services
- Person-Centred Home-Based Intervention
- Caregiver Support Centre
- Family Caregiver Training Programme
- Caregiver Support Groups
- Foreign Domestic Workers Training Workshop
- FDWs are hired to do your housework, but what if you want them to also take care of your grandparents with dementia?
- At least equip them with some basic skills on how to cope with their incessant demands
- Possible to get subsidies from AIC and only pay $10
Services offered by ADA’s Caregiver Support Centre:
- Dementia Helpline: 6377 0700 (weekdays, office hours only)
- Information and referral (financial schemes, grant)
- Phone or face-to-face counselling
- Caregiver support groups
- Safe Return Card (by NCSS)
- Caregiver Respite Programme (Memories Café)
- Training centre to support Young Onset Dementia patients continue employability (ADA Café)
References
- Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA)