Dementia is a real problem that affects one in every 10 people aged 60 and above according to the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health in 2015. The number of people affected by dementia is estimated to be 103,000 by 2030.
As a result, Singapore has been coming up with ways to make Singapore more dementia-friendly so as to support our ageing population and those with dementia.
DBS/POSB Becoming More Dementia-Friendly
A new measure has been introduced and 12,000 DBS and POSB bank staff will have to undergo an e-learning course via the bank’s cloud-based learning platform.
This course was created by the Agency for Integrated Care’s Dementia Awareness (Foundation) as a way to equip staff with the skills to recognise signs of dementia so as to protect customers with dementia from any financial exploitation.
The 45-minute e-learning course requires all frontline staff members to achieve a minimum passing score of 80%. The course is not compulsory for other staff working in other functions of the bank, but will be open to them should they decide to undergo it.
So far, about 90% of all customer-facing DBS and POSB branch staff have completed the course since it was launched in mid-December.
With this in place, it would certainly help Singapore achieve her goal of becoming more dementia-friendly. But you would probably be delighted to know that this is not the only initiative that DBS has done.
Other Dementia-Friendly Initiatives
According to The New Paper, the head of DBS and POSB branch banking Yeo Wenxian said, “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.”
It is clear that doing so will help these patients better in understanding what they intend to do, and if they require any assistance, staff members who have already been trained thanks to the e-learning course will be at their service immediately.
According to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) head of academy Koh Hwan Jing, when we understand the abilities and obstacles of those with dementia, these patients will also be less likely to fall into traps of financial abuse thanks to the staff being able to detect tell-tale signs. They can then “activate necessary protocols to protect the financial assets of persons with dementia.”
Kudos to DBS for coming up with such initiatives. Hopefully, more banks will take up these initiatives and together, we can work towards a more dementia-friendly Singapore!
