Fostering Empathy and Connection in Building a Dementia-Friendly Community

Workshop Facilitator: Dr Constance Chan, Social Services Manager, Yan Oi Tong

As dementia continues to rise across Asia, the need for compassionate, community-driven responses has never been more urgent. This workshop spotlights the pioneering work of Yan Oi Tong (YOT), a leading non-profit in Hong Kong that has been transforming dementia care since 1999.

Through a blend of storytelling, service innovation, and public education, participants will explore:

• The shifting landscape of dementia in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the region
• YOT’s person-centered approach, including its Memory Center and dementia-specific daycare services
• Creative interventions like Play Intervention for Dementia (PID) and immersive Dementia Simulation Games that foster empathy and reduce stigma
• Strategies for building inclusive environments in homes, workplaces, and public spaces
• Collaborative models that engage caregivers, frontline workers, and community stakeholders

The session culminates in a call to action: to reframe dementia not as not to be feared, but as a human experience to be understood - with dignity, empathy, and connection at its core.

The workshop will be held in the Boardroom of Oldham Theatre, Level 3.

This workshop is part of the DBSF x SUSS Memory & Cognitive Health Community Programme.

The DBSF x SUSS Memory and Cognitive Health Community Programme is a pioneering initiative in the region aimed at promoting the cognitive, emotional and social well-being of older adults through reminiscence-based engagement. It is a four-year collaborative initiative spanning Singapore, Hong Kong SAR (China), the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, and India.

By registering for this event, you agree that the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) may collect and use your personal data (including any visual images, photographs and/or videos of yourself captured during the event) for the purposes of (a) processing your registration; (b) administering and planning your participation in the event; (c) maintaining of event participants’ database; (d) responding to your queries about the event; (e) obtaining your feedback on your event experience; and (f) sending updates and news on future events organised by SUSS which may be of interest to you.

You further agree that images of yourself in video recordings or photographs taken at the event (“Images”) may be used for other marketing and publicity-related purposes in SUSS publications including on the SUSS website or other websites and that copyright in the images belong to SUSS.

If you wish to request SUSS to cease using the Images at any time, please write to [email protected], they will not be used in future publications but may continue to appear in publications already in circulation.

Host or Publisher SUSS Gerontology Student & Alumni Community(SGSAC)