If you are worried about a parent with dementia in Punggol, or about early signs, start by talking to their GP or SingHealth Polyclinics – Punggol. HealthHub advises a check at a hospital memory clinic if the signs keep appearing; the nearest is at Sengkang General Hospital. Dementia Singapore’s helpline is 6377 0700.
Noticing changes in someone you love is unsettling. Getting them checked early is an act of care, not an accusation.
This page is part of eduKate Punggol’s When You Need Help in Punggol, our practical guides for life’s occasions, big and small. It covers the warning signs, how to suggest a check-up, the memory clinic, support after a diagnosis, day care in and near Punggol, and help for you as the caregiver.
Quick answer
- Warning signs include memory loss that affects daily life, trouble with familiar tasks, confusion about time and place, and changes in mood or personality.
- First check: your parent’s GP or SHP-Punggol (6643 6969). The nearest hospital memory clinic is in Sengkang General Hospital’s Geriatric Medicine department (appointments 6930 6000).
- Support line: the Dementia Singapore Helpline, 6377 0700, Monday to Friday 9am–6pm and Saturday 9am–1pm, except public holidays.
- Day care in Punggol: St Luke’s ElderCare’s Senior Care Centre @ One Punggol serves frail elders and people with dementia. AIC lists dementia day care from $63 a session before subsidies.
- Safety: register for the free CARA app, which includes Safe Return and missing-person reporting. If your parent goes missing, search familiar places, then call the police and mention the dementia.
Caring for a Parent with Dementia: First Steps
There is no rush to do all of this in one go. Each step makes the next one easier.
- Write down what you have noticed. HealthHub’s warning signs also include problems communicating, difficulty planning, poor judgement, misplacing things and withdrawing from social activities. Note examples and dates.
- Raise it gently. HealthHub suggests offering to arrange the appointment and go along, choosing a familiar, relaxing place to talk, and giving specific examples. Reassure your parent that an appointment does not mean committing to treatment.
- See a doctor. HealthHub notes that depression or hormone problems can cause similar symptoms, and these can be treated. Your parent’s GP or SHP-Punggol is a sensible first conversation.
- Ask about the memory clinic at SKH. Sengkang General Hospital’s Memory Clinic assesses and manages people with signs of cognitive decline. Caregivers are included in the assessment, and a neuropsychologist may be involved.
- After a diagnosis, ask for post-diagnostic support before you leave. Dementia Singapore’s CREST-PDS programme is for people within 1.5 years of diagnosis and their families, runs for six to 12 months, and only takes referrals from partnering hospitals.
- Make home and outings safer. The safety ideas are in the tips further down.
- Register for CARA. It is free, through the CARA SG app, and includes Safe Return, Report Missing Person and a Dementia Go-To Point locator.
- Plan ahead together. An LPA can only be made while your parent still has mental capacity. Our guide to making a Lasting Power of Attorney walks through it.
Dementia Support and Day Care In and Near Punggol
| Who | Contact and address | Hours | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dementia Singapore Helpline | 6377 0700; info@dementia.org.sg | Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; Sat 9am–1pm. Closed public holidays. | Caregiver support, finding services, referrals and phone counselling. |
| SKH Memory Clinic (Geriatric Medicine) | Sengkang General Hospital, 110 Sengkang East Way, Singapore 544886. Appointments 6930 6000; general enquiries 6930 5000. | Appointments line weekdays 8.30am–5.30pm | Assessment of memory and thinking problems. |
| SingHealth Polyclinics – Punggol | 681 Punggol Drive, Oasis Terraces #02-01, Singapore 820681. Tel 6643 6969. | Book ahead; weekday walk-in registration closes at 11.30am and 4pm | A first check with a doctor. |
| SLEC Senior Care Centre @ One Punggol (St Luke’s ElderCare) | 1 Punggol Drive, #04-06, Singapore 828629. Tel 6993 8090; onepunggoladmin@slec.org.sg. | Call to check | Day care for frail elders and people with dementia, and community rehab. |
| SLEC Senior Care Centre @ Sumang | Blk 222 Sumang Lane, #01-01, Singapore 820222. Tel 6244 8031; sumangadmin@slec.org.sg. | Call to check | Senior care in Punggol; ask what dementia support it offers. |
| SLEC Active Ageing Centre (Care) @ Northshore | Blk 417 Northshore Drive, #01-03 and #02-03, Singapore 820417. Tel 6910 7697. | Call to check | Activities and support close to home. |
| NTUC Health Senior Day Care (Punggol South), which is in Hougang despite its name | 571 Hougang St 51, #01-119, Singapore 530571. Tel 6715 6715. | Call to check | Senior day care and dementia day care. |
| Dementia Singapore New Horizon Centre (Tampines) | Blk 362 Tampines Street 34, #01-377, Singapore 520362. Via 6377 0700. | Mon–Fri 7.30am–6.30pm | Dementia day care; needs a formal diagnosis. |
Checked October 2026 — confirm on the official page before you go: Dementia Singapore, St Luke’s ElderCare centres and NTUC Health Punggol South.
Dementia Singapore’s own lists of New Horizon Centres differ slightly between its website and its 2025 booklet, and neither shows a centre in the north-east. Tampines appears on both, but call the helpline before you plan a visit.
Which Situation Fits You
Your parent does not want to see a doctor
Keep the tone light and specific: “You missed two appointments this month, so let’s get a routine check.” HealthHub’s tip is to offer to arrange it and come along.
Your parent has just been diagnosed
Ask the hospital team about CREST-PDS before you leave. Then look at Dementia Singapore’s caregiver support groups: free open sessions of about two hours, in English, Mandarin or Malay, online or in person, plus closed series of five or six weekly sessions. Registration is needed. DementiaHub.SG, a one-stop dementia portal, offers a “Living with Dementia” kit of four booklets.
Your parent will not leave the flat
Dementia Singapore’s Eldersit service sends someone to the home. It costs $35 an hour before GST, with a $300 deposit, at rates as of 1 January 2025, and needs a formal diagnosis. Its Home Support Team needs a formal referral through a community team (COMIT or CREST), so ask the helpline how that works.
Your parent still tries to drive
HealthHub suggests hiding the car keys, or putting “STOP” signs on doors, if a parent with dementia still tries to drive. Our guide to when an older parent should stop driving covers the formal driving assessment.
Your parent gets lost when out
An ID card or bracelet, a quiet word with trusted neighbours and CARA registration all help. Our Dementia Go-To Points guide explains where to ask staff for help at Punggol’s transport points.
You are running on empty
Dementia Singapore’s CREST-CSN is for caregivers at risk of depression, anxiety or burnout. Respite is part of good care, not a luxury. Our guide for anyone suddenly a caregiver lists the respite routes.
Costs and How to Apply for Day Care
- Day care (AIC): from $55 a session before subsidies. Dementia day care starts from $63 a session, and covers mild to advanced dementia. Transport costs extra.
- What is included: meals, basic nursing and health checks, personal care, activities, exercise and caregiver support.
- Subsidies: for citizens and PRs, means-tested on household income per person, or the home’s Annual Value if there is no income. AIC says 2026 subsidy levels use 2025 Annual Values. Check your household on 1800 222 3399.
- How to apply: through a hospital or polyclinic doctor, who applies online, or with help at an AIC Link. Call the AIC Hotline on 1800-650-6060 to find one.
- New Horizon Centres: need a formal dementia diagnosis, with referral by a hospital or polyclinic through AIC’s system.
- Memories Café: $10 a person, subject to change.
- CARA: free.
Grants such as the Home Caregiving Grant depend on a disability assessment. Our caregiver grants guide explains how it works. For long-term residential care, see our guide to nursing homes near Punggol.
Neighbour’s Tips
- Get the diagnosis on paper. Dementia Singapore’s day care and Eldersit both need a formal diagnosis, so ask for a copy.
- Bring a list to the memory clinic. Your notes of what you have seen, with dates, help the doctors more than “Ma is a bit forgetful”.
- Register for CARA now. Safe Return and missing-person reporting only help if they are set up before you need them.
- Keep locks out of sight. HealthHub suggests placing door locks out of the line of sight, and removing triggers such as house or car keys.
- Use colour. HealthHub suggests cabinets in colours that contrast with walls and floors, and putting scissors and knives away.
- Plan journeys. On public transport, go with your parent, plan the route and allow extra time.
- Call the helpline on a weekday. Saturday hours end at 1pm, and it is closed on public holidays.
- Find calm places nearby. Our gentle outings guide lists quieter spots for a familiar walk.
If It’s Urgent or Gets Worse
If your parent goes missing, search familiar places first, then call the police on 999 and tell them about the dementia, as HealthHub advises. If you have registered, use CARA’s Report Missing Person feature as well.
Call 995 for sudden confusion with signs of a stroke, a collapse or loss of consciousness. These are on MOH’s list of emergencies.
Caring for someone with dementia can be lonely and exhausting. Samaritans of Singapore (1767) and the National Mindline (1771) are open 24 hours, and CareText is on WhatsApp at 9151 1767. If you are ever worried that an older person is being harmed or neglected, the NAVH helpline is 1800-777-0000, 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is forgetfulness just part of getting older?
Not always. HealthHub says to get checked at a hospital memory clinic if you notice warning signs regularly, especially memory loss that affects day-to-day life. Other, treatable conditions can cause similar symptoms.
Where is the nearest memory clinic to Punggol?
At Sengkang General Hospital, in its Geriatric Medicine department. Call 6930 6000 for appointments.
Is there dementia day care in Punggol?
St Luke’s ElderCare’s Senior Care Centre @ One Punggol serves frail elders and people with dementia. NTUC Health’s “Punggol South” day care, which offers dementia day care, is at 571 Hougang St 51 in Hougang.
How much does dementia day care cost?
AIC says dementia day care starts from $63 a session before subsidies, plus transport. Citizens and PRs can get means-tested subsidies.
What is CARA?
CARA is Dementia Singapore’s free programme, used through the CARA SG app. Its features include Safe Return, Report Missing Person and a Dementia Go-To Point locator, plus benefits from more than 80 partners.
Should we make an LPA after a diagnosis?
Talk about it soon. An LPA can only be made while a person still has mental capacity. If capacity has already been lost, the route is a court-appointed deputy, which our LPA, ACP, wills and deputyship explainer covers.
More Help on eduKate Punggol
- Dementia Go-To Points in Punggol transport
- Seniors, ageing and caregiving in Punggol
- Nursing homes and residential care near Punggol
- The Therapeutic Garden at Punggol Waterway Park: a calm place for a familiar walk.
- Active Ageing Centres and care services in Punggol
- Official: HealthHub warning signs of dementia · AIC day care · Dementia Singapore caregiver support groups
Still the Same Person
Dementia changes a lot, but not everything. Your parent is still the person who taught you to ride a bicycle or cooked your favourite soup. With the right support around you both, there is still room for good days together.
And if your family is also looking for calm, small-group English, Mathematics or Science, eduKate Punggol teaches classes of three in Punggol. Come find out more: Book a consultation · Chat on WhatsApp
eduKate Punggol
Small-group English, Mathematics and Science
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By appointment · +65 8823 1234
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Checked October 2026. Addresses, opening hours, fees and rules change, so please confirm with the official source before you go.
