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April 9, 2008 Dementia patients to get ID cards Special card with contact details could help lost patients return to their families By Theresa Tan DEMENTIA patients will soon be issued with special identity cards so members of the public will be able to contact their families if these individuals are found lost or wandering. The card, to be issued through the Alzheimer's Disease Association here, will debut in the second half of the year. It will carry the patient's name, language spoken and his or her family's contact numbers. Other critical information, such as drug allergies, will also be included. Dementia is a degenerative brain condition marked by memory lapses. As the disease worsens, patients lose the ability to care for themselves. They may require help even in daily routines such as eating and going to the toilet. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. About 20,000 people are afflicted with dementia here; by 2020, the number is expected to rise to 50,000. National Council of Social Service chief executive Ang Bee Lian said it is common for dementia patients to wander from their homes and become lost. Asked how useful the card will be if dementia patients left home without it, she said idea is not foolproof but can be useful if patients are made to pin or hang the card on a lanyard around their neck before outings. Sales executive Eleen Ng, 40, is familiar with the anxiety of having a loved one go missing. Her 70-year-old mother, who has dementia, has lost her way 'numerous times' and even ended up at a police station after she was found wandering the streets. 'I used to tear my hair out and panic each time mum went missing. She doesn't even know how to answer her mobile phone when it rings,' said MadamNg, adding that her mother is no longer allowed to go out on her own. The identity card is not the only such document here. More than 7,000 similar ones have been issued to the disabled, such as the intellectually disabled, by various charities here, MsAng noted. http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_225262.html We do not tag criminals like rapists or even pervert stealing undies for the safety of the public some1 obviously felt it is good we tag dementia patient. IMO this is a violation of human rights, because it will not end there once it started. How would you feel if some1 you know is tagged a HIV patient like a dog tag? Are we gg but back to medieval days?