| WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 | THE STRAITS TIMES | B1

Janice Tai

When a home owner found an elder-ly stranger trying to enter herWoodlands flat with a key, shecalled a local grassroots leader.

“She asked me what to do,” said51-year-old consultant James Lim.“I suspected it could be a seniorwith dementia so I told her to staycalm and not to do anything while Iwent over.

“I spoke to him in Hokkien to puthim at ease and told the crowd ofneighbours who were millingaround to give him some personalspace so that he would not get moredisorientated or agitated.”

Although the man could not re-call who he was or where he lived,police later managed to contact hisdaughter. It turned out that the eld-erly man had mistaken that flat tobe his on the same floor, but a fewblocks away.

Mr Lim is one of more than10,000 people in Singapore whohave been trained to spot thosewith dementia, interact with themand refer them to aid agencies, if

needed. They include front-linestaff from transport companies,banks, retailers and public organisa-tions, as well as school students andmosque and church members.

As people around the world mark

World Alzheimer’s Day today,Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH)and the Lien Foundation are alsospearheading local efforts to raiseawareness of dementia in the com-munity. Since last year, they have

been encouraging workers from or-ganisations and members of thepublic to sign up and be trained as a“dementia friend”.

Their Forget Us Not initiativestarted by training 2,000 people in

Yishun. The area was chosen to testout the concept of a demen-tia-friendly community because ithas a significant number of elderlyresidents as well as a geriatric cen-tre at KTPH to support them.

One in 10 people aged 60 andabove in Singapore has dementiaand the condition strikes half ofthose aged 85 and beyond, accord-ing to findings from a large-scalestudy released by the Institute ofMental Health last year.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yongsaid last year that tackling demen-tia needs to go beyond having the“hardware” – such as infrastructure

SIGNS• Looks lost and confused• Speaks incoherently• Shouts or hits out• Sees or hears things that

are not real• Accuses others of stealing

their things• Repeats action that appears

purposeless• Removes clothes

WHAT TO DO• Talk to them using clear

and simple language• Be patient and acknowledge

their concerns• Use visual cues such as

pictures or drawings tounderstand their needs

• Look for next-of-kincontact details onidentification cards

• Call the next-of-kin,security guard or police

• For more information, go towww.forgetusnot.sgA dementia trainer’s guide,tailored for the specific needsof industries such as banks,transport, retail and food andbeverage, as well as places ofworship, is also being developed.

Dealing with disease

SMRT serviceambassador LimYen Ling saidtraining from theForget Us Notinitiative hasenabled her tobetter identifyand assistpeople withdementia inthe midst of achaoticpeak-hourcrowd.PHOTO: TIFFANYGOH FOR THESTRAITS TIMES

MORE AWARENESScontinued on B2

They includefront-line staff, as partof efforts to raiseawareness in society

NOTE 7 EXCHANGE PARALLEL IMPORTS COVERED TOO B2$20K AWARD HUNT FOR PROMOTERS OF CHINESE CULTURE B3

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10,000 trained to spotand help those with dementia

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

Audrey Tan

Even without the haze shroudingSingapore, commuters waiting for abus could be polluting their lungs.

The tiny particles from vehicleemissions are smaller – and moretoxic – than the PM2.5 pollutantsdominant during periods of haze, anew study has shown.

“Waiting at the bus stop for only10 minutes each time may seem in-nocuous. But these short exposuresall add up,” said researcher Erik Ve-lasco, who led the research.

“A commuter who takes atwo-way trip by bus to work for fivedays per week is actually exposedto these participles for nearly sevenhours per month and over three fulldays per year. This exposure can af-fect people with existing pulmo-nary and cardiovascular diseases,among others.”

PM2.5 are pollutant particlesmeasuring less than 2.5 microns indiameter – about a 30th the diame-ter of a human hair. They are hazard-ous because they are small enoughto be breathed into the lungs and ab-sorbed into the bloodstream.

Dr Velasco, a research scientistfrom the Singapore-MIT Alliancefor Research and Technology(Smart), has found that the parti-

cles commuters breathe in whilewaiting at a bus stop are even small-er – by about 100 times.

At a media briefing yesterday, hesaid a two-way bus journey fivedays a week could lead to a commut-er inhaling about 3.5 times more ti-ny pollutant particles than at ambi-ent level, which researchers mea-sured at Fort Canning Park.

The findings were significant con-sidering that travel on buses madeup almost half of the 7.7 million pub-lic transport trips every day in 2014,said Dr Velasco, citing Land Trans-port Authority (LTA) data.

Dr Steve Yang, specialist in respi-ratory medicine and consultant atthe Raffles Internal Medicine Cen-tre at Raffles Hospital said the hu-man body has no efficient way to re-

move particles smaller than 2.5 mi-crons in diameter.

“Humans have developed ways tofilter out particles 10 microns andabove, which get trapped in thenose and throat and do not enter thelungs, but not the smaller particles,”said Dr Yang, adding that peopleshould not stand near idling buses.

Toxic ultrafine particles areformed when gases and particlesfrom vehicle exhaust pipes reactwith each other in the air after theyare discharged. Catalytic convert-ers and filters in vehicles, while vast-ly improved over the years, are stillunable to remove all the toxic parti-cles and gases produced.

For the study, Dr Velasco workedwith Ms Tan Sok Huang, a formerNational University of Singapore ge-

ography master’s student to quanti-fy pollution at five well-used busstops in Singapore – Vivo City, Lit-tle India, Bugis, One Raffles Quayand NUS.

The researchers collected data in2011 and 2012 using portable,state-of-the-art instruments tomeasure variables such as thenumber of ultrafine particles perunit of volume.

The study was funded by the Na-tional Research Foundation andpublished in science journal Atmos-pheric Environment last month.

In June, the LTA embarked on asix-month pilot scheme to installelectric fans at five crowded busstops in places such as Tampinesand Ang Mo Kio to improve ventila-tion. Dr Velasco suggested that

such fans, which can disperse pol-lutant particles and make waitingin the heat bearable, could be in-stalled at more bus stops. He alsosuggested scheduling buses to ar-rive at specific times, to minimisewaiting by commuters.

Post-graduate student JeremyHeng, 28, who takes the MRT andbus from his home in Bukit Timahto Changi every day for a work stint,said: “I am somewhat surprised bythe findings, especially about howthese particles are more harmfulthan those in the haze.

“The broader implications of thefindings emphasise that clean ener-gy for vehicles, or a car-lite econo-my, is the way to go.”

audreyt@sph.com.sg

Irene ThamTech Editor

Samsung has confirmed that it is ex-tending the exchange programmefor its faulty Galaxy Note7 to in-clude parallel import sets in what isSingapore’s first major mobilephone recall.

Although it will first replace thephones of those who bought fromauthorised retailers here – estimat-ed to be in the “thousands” – theSouth Korean firm will also providea new Note7 device to those whobought handsets from parallel im-porters.

Samsung will also extend the ex-change programme beyond its origi-nal Oct 2 deadline.

A Samsung spokesman told TheStraits Times: “While we encourageconsumers to always buy from au-thorised retailers, Samsung is priori-tising consumer safety in the globalreplacement programme.”

She said those who bought fromauthorised retailers will get their re-placement handsets first in its ex-change programme, which kickedoff last Friday. It will run until Oct 2at the Suntec Singapore Conven-tion and Exhibition Centre.

After Oct 2, customers will needto call the 1800-SAMSUNG(7267864) hotline to make arrange-ments for the exchange.

Users who bought from parallel

importers – usually at a discountfrom e-marketplaces such as eBayand Qoo10 – can call the same hot-line to arrange for an exchange.

Technology lawyer Jonathan Kok

of RHTLaw Taylor Wessing saidSamsung is controlling the damageto its reputation. “If Samsung doesnot replace the faulty sets, it can besued for product liability (in the

case of) a customer injury, loss ordamage as a result of the defect.”

Note7 user Sadiq R, 26, is gladthat Samsung has extended the ex-change programme beyond Oct 2.

“I was told by its call centre onMonday that I would not be able toreplace my handset after Oct 2,”said the graphic designer, who hadalso asked for a refund.

But the phone maker maintainedyesterday that it will not be offeringSingapore consumers a refund,which is being offered in marketssuch as Australia and the US.

Samsung, which issued a global re-call of 2.5 million Note7 phones thismonth, said it will resume sellingthe device in Singapore in October,after the exchanges are done.

With its new edge-to-edgescreen, water-resistant feature andiris scanner, the Note7 debuted inAugust to rave reviews. It waspoised to lift Samsung’s quarterlyprofit and take on Apple’s newiPhone 7, which went on sale in Sin-gapore last Friday.

To date, close to 80 per cent ofNote7 owners who had boughtfrom Samsung’s authorised retail-ers in Singapore have registered tohave their handsets replaced.

Local authorised retailers and dis-tributors have also since returnedmore than 80 per cent of all unsoldNote7 devices.

Lawyer Kala Anandarajah, whoheads the Competition & Antitrustand Trade team at Rajah & Tann,said Singapore laws are stricter ondefective cars than on defectivephones.

“Defective cars that are not safemust be fixed under the law, andthis requirement applies to both au-thorised dealers and dealers of par-allel import cars,” she said.

“For mobile phones, however, aformal recall imposed on the manu-facturer, authorised resellers ordealers of parallel imports is at thediscretion of Spring Singapore.”

Last Thursday, the United Statessafety regulator, the ConsumerProduct Safety Commission, start-ed banning the sale of the phone,which had caught fire, as well as is-suing an official recall.

itham@sph.com.sg

Harm in the air

– to fostering stronger communitysupport and creating dementia-friendly communities.

Other countries such as Britainand Japan have already trained mil-lions of people in local towns on ba-sic dementia recognition and care.

With the training, it is hopedthat the social isolation and stigmaassociated with dementia can bereduced. So, if a person with demen-tia gets lost, a policeman or studentcan show him the way home. Or, ifthe person takes items from a super-

market without paying, the staffwill not assume he is shoplifting.

So far, selected staff from 49 or-ganisations, such as the National Li-brary Board, Sheng Siong supermar-ket, Bedok Police Division, SMRT,Nanyang Polytechnic and DBSBank, have undergone the training.

SMRT service ambassador LimYen Ling, 44, said the training en-ables her to better identify peoplewith dementia in the midst of a cha-otic peak-hour crowd.

Over the last few months, for in-stance, she has been noticing that aregular elderly commuter would re-

peatedly check the rail networkmap and ask her if the train is head-ing towards Ang Mo Kio.

So each time she sees him, shewould reassure him that he is on theright platform and alert a fellow pas-senger on the train to keep a lookout for him and ensure that healights at Ang Mo Kio.

Grassroots leader Mr Lim andNanyang Polytechnic student Nat-tasha Alvinur, 17, found the trainingso useful that it prompted them toorganise their own awareness talks.

Mr Lim subsequently arrangedone for his Woodlands residents

and Ms Alvinur, together with 29other students, formed a groupthat conducts regular talks on de-mentia in schools. So far, they haveshared the dementia message withmore than 2,000 teenagers.

Said Ms Alvinur: “I have agrand-aunt with dementia andwhen she got lost, not many peoplewould help her. Those who helponly know how to drop her off at apolice station. With greater aware-ness, I hope people can grow old in asafer and friendlier environment.”

jantai@sph.com.sg

Increased pollution from buses while waitingat stops poses health risk, says researcher

Dr Velasco,a researchscientist who ledthe study,suggestedhaving moreelectric fans atbus stops tohelp dispersethe pollutantparticles andschedulingbuses to arriveat specific timesto minimisewaiting – andthus exposure –by commuters.ST PHOTO:DON CHI

Galaxy Note7 owners have till Oct 2 to exchange their phones at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.After that, they will have to call a hotline to arrange for the exchange. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

How to tell if a handset is defective

Air-qualitystudy throwsspotlighton bus stops

PM2.5

Pollutant particles which mea-sure 2.5 microns in diameter –about a 30th the diameter of astrand of human hair. It is thedominant pollutant particleduring periods of haze.

ULTRAFINE PARTICLES

These are 100 times smallerthan PM2.5, and are formedwhen gases from vehicle tailpipes react with the air after dis-charge. Because they are small-er, these particles have a largersurface area that comes intocontact with the human body,making them more toxic.

CIGARETTESSmoking produces ultrafineparticles full of toxic com-pounds. In a study a decadeago, Dr Velasco found that driv-ing around Mexico City for anhour was equivalent to smok-ing 0.4 cigarettes. He said thelevels detected on Mexicanroads were similar to pollutantlevels at Singapore’s bus stops.

Note7 exchange includes parallelimport sets; deadline extended

Amid fears that some faultySamsung Galaxy Note7 devicesmay still be sold in online market-places, Samsung has developed away to tell the new phone apartfrom the original one with faultybatteries.

The new Note7 handsets use agreen charging light indicator onthe display screen instead of theoriginal white.

The green light icon will ap-pear after a software update isapplied to the new phones.

The software update will berolled out later this month to Sin-

gapore users, said a Samsungspokesman.

A solid black square on the topright of the box that comes withthe phone is also an indicationthat the Note7 in it is a non-de-fective unit.

In addition, later this month,Samsung will launch a websitefor its Note7 customers inSingapore to check their phoneIMEI (identity) number againstan online database to verify thattheir set is safe.

Irene Tham

FROM B1

Towards a dementia-friendly community

10%How many aged 60 and abovewho have dementia

50%How many aged 85 and abovewho have dementia

B2 HOME | THE STRAITS TIMES | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 |

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.