SINGAPORE - A Singapore-based palm oil company donated $1 million to the Alzheimer's Disease Association (ADA) on Thursday (July 4) to fund its therapies and programmes.

The donation, from Musim Mas, will also help 300 less-privileged families who are struggling to pay the $72-a-day ADA dementia daycare fees.

The subsidies will vary, with each case means-tested.

ADA programmes to be funded will include virtual reality workshops for caregivers of those with dementia to gain a deeper understanding of the illness, and a public awareness campaign in September.

The donation will also sponsor cognitive enrichment activities for people with dementia and their caregivers who attend the ADA's Family of Wisdom programmes.

"Dementia is a form of medical condition that is devastating," North East District Mayor Desmond Choo said at the cheque presentation at Our Tampines Hub.

"It not only affects you greatly but strips you of who you are as a person - that alone is an important issue we must address as a community."

One in 10 people aged 60 and over is believed to suffer from dementia, said Mr Choo, adding that in the six to eight blocks he visits each month, he usually meets at least one resident with dementia.

It is estimated that there are currently 82,000 people in Singapore with dementia, and the number is expected to go beyond 100,000 by 2030, according to the ADA.

The ADA currently has four daycare locations in Singapore in Bukit Batok Street 52, Jurong Point, Tampines Street 34 and Toa Payoh Lorong 1.

Members of the public wanting dementia-related help or advice can call the ADA's helpline on 6377-0700.