Project Curae: Helping Seniors Living with Dementia Find Joy and Meaning

Written by:

Lim Jing Yang, Josh (4i3, 2026)

Jia Sihan (4i3, 2026)

Chan Xianrui (4P2, 2026)

Li Haochen (4P2, 2026)

Li Linfeng (4P1, 2026)

Project Curae is a student-initiated Service Learning project that seeks to support seniors living with dementia through regular engagement and outreach. Working with Yong-en Care Centre, our team planned activities that aimed to bring joy, encourage interaction and create meaningful opportunities for connection.

When we first stepped into Yong-en Care Centre, some of us carried assumptions about what interacting with seniors living with dementia might be like. We expected them to be relatively passive or withdrawn. As we spent more time with them, however, these assumptions quickly changed. The seniors gradually warmed up to us, expressing themselves through dialect, humour and warmth. We began to see more clearly the individual personalities, experiences and spirit behind each person we met.

We conducted regular sessions at Yong-en Care Centre, with activities designed to engage the seniors physically, cognitively and socially. These sessions challenged us to be creative and adaptable, as we often had to adjust our plans in real time according to the seniors’ needs and responses. For instance, we modified activities to make them less physically demanding while incorporating opportunities for cognitive engagement. Through each visit, we hoped to create an environment filled with warmth, laughter and inclusion, where the seniors could feel valued and enjoy spending time together.

To engage the wider community, we also used social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok (@project_curae) to share highlights from our engagement sessions and create educational posts about dementia. Through these posts, we hoped to help others better understand and interact with people living with dementia. We also showcased Project Curae at the Community Action Convention and Open House, where we raised awareness about dementia and recruited volunteers. These outreach efforts also helped our team develop our skills in graphic design and communicating our message to a wider audience.

To foster intergenerational bonding, we organised a student-led sabbatical featuring a shared lunch followed by a lively game of balloon volleyball between the seniors and HCI students. The seniors shared their stories and experiences, while the students gained valuable opportunities to learn about their lives and some of the challenges they encounter. Through these interactions, both groups were able to connect across generations, with the seniors participating actively in the activities and the students gaining a deeper understanding of the people behind the condition.

One of the activities we most enjoyed contributing to was the Yong-en Café. Together with the Yong-en staff, we helped develop ideas for the café and contributed our own perspectives to its design. It was especially meaningful to see seniors taking on active roles, such as serving guests, interacting with visitors and taking pride in their contributions. We were also impressed to learn that the café raised around $10,000 in its first week of operation. For us, this was a powerful reminder of what seniors can continue to contribute when they are given opportunities to participate meaningfully in the community.

Overall, Project Curae has opened our eyes to the lives and experiences of seniors living with dementia. More importantly, it has taught us not to define people solely by their condition. Through our interactions, we have learnt that meaningful change can begin with something as simple as spending time together, listening and creating opportunities for people to connect.

We are grateful to Hwa Chong Institution and the team at Yong-en Care Centre for giving us the opportunity to learn, contribute and grow through this project.