DBS staff to take course on dementia to help protect customers from exploitation

DBS Bank branch service manager Kina Neo recalls her first encounter with a customer with dementia about three years ago.

The customer, who was in his 60s, experienced sudden memory loss at the DBS South Beach branch where Ms Neo has been working for over 30 years.

Ms Neo said: "It was his turn in the queue, but he could not recall what he was there for."

Recognising the sudden memory loss as a sign of dementia, Ms Neo took him aside to a private room in the branch.

"I spoke to him slowly and concisely, (trying to) help him jog his memory," she said.

But despite her best efforts, she could not get him to recall why he visited the branch.

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Ms Neo said: "I sought his permission to contact a family member who (came) to the bank to escort him home safely."

To help raise awareness on dementia, all 12,000 DBS and POSB bank staff will undergo an e-learning course via the bank's cloud-based learning platform.

Created by the Agency for Integrated Care's Dementia Awareness (Foundation), the course aims to equip staff to better recognise signs of dementia, and helps them learn how to protect customers with dementia from financial exploitation.

The online course, which carries a compulsory passing score of 80 per cent, has seen 90 per cent of all customer-facing DBS and POSB branch staff completing the course since its launch in mid-December.

The 45-minute e-learning course is compulsory for all frontline staff members, and is open to staff working in other functions of the bank as well.

However, the online course is not the only initiative towards a dementia-friendly Singapore.

SCREENS & SIGNAGES

Head of DBS and POSB branch banking Yeo Wenxian told The New Paper: "The screens and signage at DBS/POSB branches, as well as automated teller machines and video teller machines, display font sizes and visuals that are easy to read and comprehend.

"Presenting information simply, clearly and concisely is one of our key considerations to ensure user-friendliness for customers who visit our branches, including those with dementia," she added.

Alzheimer's Disease Association (ADA) head of academy Koh Hwan Jing told TNP: "By understanding the abilities and challenges of people with dementia, bank staff may detect tell-tale signs that may suggest financial abuse, so as to activate necessary protocols to protect the financial assets of persons with dementia."

The e-learning course adds to ongoing bank initiatives that aim to support Singapore's ageing population and the growing number of people diagnosed with dementia in Singapore, which is estimated to affect 103,000 people by 2030.

ADA head of caregiver support services Stephen Chan said: "(The) community plays a critical role in keeping the person active and engaged in the community for as long as possible. The person with dementia may be more susceptible to fraud."