New location function in the app should help rescue lost dementia patients, Latest news from Singapore

When Ms Elizabeth Chong lost sight of her husband Ng Chee Yat, who suffers from Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, she filed a missing person report using Dementia Singapore's Cara app.

Launched in 2021, Cara is Dementia Singapore's membership program that serves as a lifestyle and community platform, connecting people with dementia and caregivers to an ecosystem of solutions through a mobile application.

Cara members with a Member of Public account would receive a push notification when a missing person report is filed and help keep a lookout.

Luckily, Ms Chong was reunited with her 78-year-old husband later that day.

With the app's new Dementia Go-To Point (GTP) Locator feature, people like Mr Ng can now be reunited with their loved ones more quickly.

Ms Chong, a 51-year-old full-time carer, said: “The Dementia GTP Locator feature is fantastic and easy to use.

“It is reassuring to know that there are people in the community who can help if my loved one ever goes missing.”

Dementia GTPs are safe return points for people with dementia who are lost or unable to find their way home. They are on the premises of organizations that support the #DementiaFriendlySG movement.

Staff at GTPs for dementia patients are trained to identify the person brought to them and assist them in reuniting with their carer.

Dementia GTPs also act as resource centers for educational resources and useful information about dementia.

The CEO of Dementia Singapore said: “We understand the stress and anxiety that people with dementia can feel when they are lost or disorientated. The new Dementia GTP Locator feature will enable the public to transport people with dementia to safe places.”

There are over 780 Dementia GTPs at all MRT stations and bus stops, as well as other locations such as supermarkets, community centers and shopping malls across the island.

The new Dementia GTP Locator complements Cara's Safe Return feature, which allows anyone to scan the QR code on a Cara card to help the cardholder reunite with their family members or caregivers.

Other recent improvements to the Cara app include My Memories, a feature that allows families to create a personalized repository of activity content for their loved ones living with dementia.

The app will eventually be available in Malay and Tamil. The Mandarin version was released in November 2023.

The number of Cara members was over 10,300 in November 2024. Dementia Singapore aims to further increase this number to expand support for the dementia community.

For more information about the Dementia GTP Locator, visit cara.sg/gtp-guide