The DJ who's not a DeeJay

After decades of this Singapore mall serving the public, Harbourfront Centre officially closed last July 27, 2026. I have very fond memories of this mall dating back to 2016, when I first moved to Singapore with my family. Since we rented a condo just across Vivocity, this area was very accessible by foot.

Official post from @hfc_sg on Instagram

Before you think I’m anti-social, let me explain. The first generation of these websites around the early 2000’s were referred to as social networks. When Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram rose to popularity in the mid to late 2000s, they were called "social media." Since the number of social platforms suddenly multiplied afterwards, the Gen Z population adapted and heavily used the term "socials," referring to the collective social media platforms they were on. And since then, the term “socials” has been the default term.

Personally, I miss the term “social media,” with emphasis on “media.” I was an active user or multimedia, and my job for over a decade was referred to as a social media specialist. The team I was a part of was the media team. So “media” has been a staple title and focus on my career and expertise.

With the current and popular term “socials” nowadays, it’s basically removed the main word, which I held dear to my heart and used with pride and passion. Today, it may be standard casual English to use it, but I will probably use what I’ve been accustomed to all these years, “social media.”

Follow me on social media!

Some health concerns are simpler to manage. The simplest ones are those that manifest pain and can be managed by medicine or treated with surgery. Recovery and healing follow, and then you’re back to normal. Some health concerns take longer to treat and heal, but with proper planning, guidance, and medical experts on board, the road to healing is still attainable.

Dementia, on the other hand, is silent. It doesn’t manifest physically right away, but you’ll see it right there mentally. And what makes it more challenging is that the person diagnosed with it may not even know it.

Managing a loved one with dementia can be very challenging. As a person, we have innate abilities, and as we mature, we acquire skills to survive and learn traits that help us in life such as efficiency, responsibility, and thrift, as well as managing relationships. Since we are wired with all this, this all becomes second nature, and something that doesn’t align with these traits may be considered a setback.

To understand a person with dementia, you have to look beyond these and prioritize patience, understanding, and flexibility in your reasoning. The worst thing that you could do is to argue, debate, and tell them they’re wrong. That only hurts them, and they could distance themselves from you, which makes things more difficult to handle.

Dementia is not just about forgetfulness. One part is understanding what they’ll forget and what they’ll remember. Long-term memory goes a long way. Talking about events, people, and places that happened decades ago are things that trigger a pleasant conversation and also reveal what they fondly remember. Short-term memory isn’t reliable, so it’s best to anchor these moments with care and compassion.

And because of these factors, whatever routine is comfortable and convenient for loved ones with dementia shouldn’t be changed. It’s hard for them to adapt to any new habits or cater to change. Working around their existing routine can help ease any minor changes.

One other thing to expect is that it doesn’t get better. For most primary forms of dementia, current medical treatments cannot reverse or cure the underlying brain cell damage.  With this in mind, it’s best to plan ahead for loved ones. Know how dementia progresses and adapt to their needs, and be more understanding of their condition.

I’m not an expert, but from the experiences I’ve had caring for my loved one, I know that learning never stops. For anyone navigating this path: be patient with them, but please remember to be patient and flexible with yourself as well.

I wish you all the patience and understanding you’ll need to care for them.