Community Resource, Engagement, and Support Team – Post Diagnostic Support (CREST-PDS)

CREST-PDS is a community-based mental health initiative under the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). This six-month initiative aims at supporting individuals who have recently been diagnosed with dementia, as well as their caregivers. 

The programme aims to enhance  dementia literacy by providing in-depth education on the condition, including its symptoms, progression, and available treatment and care options. Caregivers gain practical knowledge on managing daily challenges associated with dementia, as well as effective caregiving techniques to ensure the best quality of life for their loved ones.

Objectives

• Community support: Provide regular engagement, psychoeducation, and emotional support to seniors and caregivers to promote stability, safety, and wellbeing
• Care navigation: Connect seniors and caregivers to appropriate medical, social, respite, and dementia support services
• Caregiver enablement: Equip caregivers with knowledge, coping strategies, and resources for managing dementia-related behaviours and stress

Who NTUC Health CREST-PDS Supports

CREST-PDS serves the following groups:

• Seniors and individuals diagnosed with dementia
• Caregivers of persons with dementia
  • Family members or main caregivers who require psychoeducation
  • Caregivers facing caregiving stress, emotional stress, challenges managing behaviours of concern, uncertainty of what to do
• Community partners and referral sources
  • Alexandra Hospital
  • National University Polyclinics (NUP)
  • AIC

Our Services 

CREST-PDS provides dementia-focused community support, including:

1. Home Assessments
   We evaluate home environments and offer tailored recommendations to help families create safe, comfortable, and dementia-friendly living spaces for their loved ones.
    
2. Early Identification & Screening
   Caring for someone living with dementia can be demanding. To better understand each caregiver’s level of stress, our programme uses a quick, evidence-based screening tool. The results help us identify early signs of caregiver strain and tailor support such as practical guidance, stress-management strategies, and connections to helpful resources. Our goal is to ensure caregivers feel supported, understood, and accompanied through their journey.
    
3. Case Support & Monitoring
   We guide caregivers in  reflecting on their own needs and self-care practices to prevent burnout. Through ongoing guidance and resources, caregivers are empowered not only to manage their current responsibilities but also to become advocates and sources of support for their loved ones and others facing similar situations.
    
4. Caregiver Support & Psychoeducation
   We provide emotional and psychological support to help caregivers manage stress, build resilience, and maintain their mental well-being. We provide caregivers with the knowledge and tools to involve the person living with dementia in early care discussions, enabling the client to contribute to planning and decision-making. This empowers caregivers to uphold the client’s autonomy and dignity for as long as possible.
    
5. Care Navigation & Referrals
   CREST-PDS plays a crucial role in connecting families with a wide range of community resources including dementia-specific support groups, social services, and healthcare providers that offer additional assistance and long-term care planning. These connections help families access timely support and build a strong, sustainable care network.