SINGAPORE: When my grandfather was diagnosed with vascular dementia in the 1990s, my family became caregivers overnight . Back then, there were no hotlines to call, no daycare centres to drop him off at, no respite help to take over when we were exhausted.

Today, such programmes exist and offer much-needed relief and education. Yet, these are not lasting solutions when families still feel like they face this isolating journey with little support.

Take Mr Lim*, who after his father’s dementia diagnosis, received help from the Post-Diagnostic Support (PDS) programme. He had access to a dedicated caseworker, home visits by a multidisciplinary team and personalised care plans.

This was a remarkable S$2.6 million initiative by the Lien Foundation and Dementia Singapore, launched in 2020 to

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