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As the condition of persons living with dementia progresses, their abilities to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) deteriorate as well. ADLs refer to routine activities which most persons have learned to perform from young and usually do on a daily basis without any assistance.1 However, due to dementia, individuals gradually become unable to perform these daily routines.2

The six ADLs include:

  1. Personal Hygiene (Bathing/Showering, Oral Hygiene, etc.)
  2. Dressing
  3. Toileting
  4. Mobility
  5. Transferring
  6. Eating and Drinking

As a caregiver, you play an important role in supporting your loved one living with dementia. Instead of completely doing ADLs for your loved one, you can provide proper assistance by making these activities easier for them to perform, or finding ways for them to do these activities by themselves via other methods. This helps to prolong their independence, empowering them to do whatever they can for as long as possible.

Listen to the sharing of May Chng, a nurse educator, on her belief in providing care that empowers her mother, Leow Yan Cheng. Despite her mother’s dementia diagnosis, May lets her mother perform the simple daily tasks, instead of taking over them. She even continues to involve her mother in cooking by getting her help with the smaller tasks. Speaking from both her professional and personal experience, May shares with us how complimenting her mother and others living with dementia is vital, and improves their sense of worth.

Source: ForgetUsNot Initiative by LIEN Foundation, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, & Dementia Singapore

Cutlery Hacks

Watch how caregivers, Daniel and Danny, modified cutleries like cups, spoons and chopsticks, to enable their parent living with dementia to eat and drink independently!

Enabling Dad to Eat on His Own | Daniel Lim

Source: ForgetUsNot Initiative by LIEN Foundation, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, & Dementia Singapore

My Dementia Cup Hack | Danny Raven Tan

Source: ForgetUsNot Initiative by LIEN Foundation, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, & Dementia Singapore

Training Resources

The ABCs of Caregiving

This course covers the essential skills needed to care for your loved one’s daily needs based on his/her mobility condition (conditions include: ambulant [can walk], wheelchair-enabled, or bed-bound). Some of these essential skills are:
  • Monitoring of vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate) and managing emergencies
  • Infection control (including hand hygiene and simple wound care) and basic skincare
  • Serving oral medication (including reading of medication labels)
  • Nutrition and Hydration
In addition to these more basic skills, you will learn how to support your loved one in their daily activities as well, mainly on:
  • Assistance with eating
  • Toileting
  • Personal hygiene
  • Mobility
If your loved one needs more specialised care, you can “top-up” your training course with additional electives, which include:
  • Bed bath
  • Transferring, Positioning and Mobility (Wheelchair)
  • Care of Urinary Catheter
  • Stoma Care
This course is suitable for you, who are looking after a loved one living with dementia everyday, and your foreign domestic helper (if you have hired one at home).

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Related Resource

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Living Inside with Dementia – How A Loving Son Created A Dementia-Friendly Home For His Dad Source: Straits Times Daniel and Peter Lim discusses how to live well with dementia by providing a supportive family and creating a dementia-friendly home. Daniel also provides tips on how to support his father in his daily activities by empowering him through simple daily tasks.
  1. Grey, H. (n.d.). A complete guide to activities of daily living (ADL) in Singapore. https://www.homage.sg/resources/activities-of-daily-living-adl/
  2. Changi General Hospital. (2019, April 12). Dementia and activities of daily living (ADL). https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/518/managing-activities-of-daily-livings-CGH

Was this article helpful?

Yes No
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Tell us how we can improve?

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Thank you for your feedback!

Your feedback will really help us to improve our content to support those living with dementia.

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Downloadable Resources

The following material contains bite-sized information about dementia. To download or print it, simply click the image. You may also select the language of the material by clicking the “Select Language” button.

Downloadable Resources

The following material contains bite-sized information about dementia. To download or print it, simply click the image. You may also select the language of the material by clicking the “Select Language” button.

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