Elderly Man with Dementia Missing for Six Days: Insights and Lessons Gleaned from the Incident
In the heart of Singapore, the search for 82-year-old Mr. Lau Sung Pong, who had been living with dementia for the past decade, began in May. Mr. Lau, who had a daily routine of leaving his home in Braddell Heights at 10am and visiting Cheng San food market in Ang Mo Kio, Chinatown, and returning home via public transport, went missing when he failed to return home at his usual hour.
The search for Mr. Lau proved fruitless for six days before further information was obtained. His daughter, Mdm Lau, turned to the media for help, as Mr. Lau's need for daily medication made his disappearance a cause of concern.
However, the search for Mr. Lau, specifically, was successful on the seventh day. Despite the use of an Apple AirTag to try and locate him, it failed to pick up his location.
In a broader context, Singapore is grappling with an aging population, a contributing factor to the expected rise in the number of people with dementia. By 2030, the number of people with dementia in Singapore is projected to rise from 82,000 in 2018 to 152,000.
To address this growing challenge, Singapore is employing a mix of innovative technologies to locate, monitor, and assist individuals with dementia. The goal is early detection, continuous support, and improved caregiver communication.
One such innovation is the AI-augmented mobile platform being developed through a collaborative New Zealand-Singapore project. This platform integrates speech-based tasks, cognitive games, and caregiver input to monitor cognitive health longitudinally. It uses AI to assess risk, provide personalized cognitive training, and can send alerts to families or medical professionals for early intervention, supporting remote care outside clinical settings.
Another innovation is the AI-driven drawing test app developed by Singapore General Hospital, which can detect pre-dementia signs with 93% accuracy, aiding early identification of cognitive decline.
Beyond detection, AI companions like ElliQ and Dialzara are increasingly used to assist seniors with cognitive and emotional support, health monitoring, and daily engagement. These technologies indirectly help track and support dementia patients remotely in their home environment.
Singapore is also advancing national frameworks such as AI Verify to ensure trust and auditability in healthcare AI tools, helping integrate these innovations safely in clinical practice.
It's important to note that Mr. Lau's case is not unique. Many vulnerable adults go missing every year, even those with conditions like dementia who need help the most. Dementia Singapore's CARA app, a service for reporting missing family members with dementia, receives an average of one report of a missing family member with dementia per month.
As Singapore moves towards "super-aged" status next year, where one in five people will be 65 and above, the number of reports to Dementia Singapore's CARA app may increase. However, with the innovative technologies being developed and implemented, the hope is that more individuals like Mr. Lau can be found sooner and receive the care they need.
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