New locator feature in app to help in recovery of lost persons with dementia
When Ms Elizabeth Chong lost sight of her husband Ng Chee Yat, who has Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, she submitted a missing person report on Dementia Singapore’s Cara app.
Launched in 2021, Cara is Dementia Singapore’s membership programme that serves as a lifestyle and community platform, connecting persons living with dementia and caregivers to an ecosystem of solutions via a mobile application.
Cara members would receive a push notification when a missing person report is submitted and help to keep a lookout.
Thankfully, Ms Chong was reunited with her 78-year-old husband later in the day.
Now, with the app’s new Dementia Go-To Point (GTP) Locator feature, people like Mr Ng can be reunited with their loved ones sooner.
Ms Chong, a 51-year-old full-time caregiver, said: “The Dementia GTP Locator feature is fantastic and easy to use.
“It is reassuring to know there are people in the community who can help if my loved one ever goes missing."
Dementia GTPs are safe return points for persons living with dementia who are lost or unable to find their way home. They are located on the premises of organisations which support the #DementiaFriendlySG movement.
Staff at Dementia GTPs are trained to identify the person brought to them and assist to reunite them with their caregiver.
Dementia GTPs also function as resource centres for educational resources and useful information on dementia.
Dementia Singapore CEO said: “We understand the stress and anxiety persons living with dementia can feel when they are lost or disorientated. The new Dementia GTP Locator feature will enable members of the public to take persons living with dementia to safe spaces.”
There are over 780 Dementia GTPs, situated at all MRT stations and bus interchanges, as well as other locations such as supermarkets, community centres and shopping malls across the island.
The new Dementia GTP Locator complements Cara's Safe Return feature, through which anyone can scan the QR code on a Cara card to help the card owner reunite with the family members or caregivers.
Other recent enhancements to the Cara app include My Memories, a feature for families to create a personalised repository of activity content for their loved ones who are living with dementia.
The app will eventually be made available in Malay and Tamil. The Mandarin version was launched in November 2023.
Cara membership stood at over 10,300 as at November 2024. Dementia Singapore looks to further grow this number to widen the support for the dementia community.
For more information on the Dementia GTP Locator, go to cara.sg/gtp-guide
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