MANAGING AGEING POPULATION

MANAGING AGEING POPULATION

29.

Assoc. Prof. Paulin Tay Straughan asked the Prime Minister in light of the sustained low fertility rate and increase in the proportion of singles (a) what are the Government's plans for managing an ageing population where family support may be absent; and (b) what initiatives are in place to facilitate ageing for singles and those who may not have strong family support.

Mr Lim Boon Heng: Assoc. Prof. Paulin Straughan asked about the plans to facilitate ageing for singles in an ageing population. In 2000, 6% of residents aged 50 and above were single; the figure has increased to 8.2% in 2009. The majority of our seniors, including the singles, are healthy and ambulant. We encourage them to keep physically, mentally and socially active.

For elderly singles, the extended family, the community and especially neighbours play an important role. Ageing should not be a lonely affair. Our family, friends and neighbours provide companionship, care and support. To facilitate this, we encourage and mobilise informal networks to support our seniors to age-in-place. Neighbours can help to keep a look out for our seniors, particularly those who are single or do not have strong family support.

I cannot emphasise enough the importance of maintaining and nurturing social ties as we get older. We seek to promote this through the Wellness Programme, community and grassroots activities. Through participation in regular activity groups, be it a brisk walking group, a tai-chi group or a hobby club, elderly Singaporeans would have regular social interaction with others. Over time, some will become close friends and they can lend mutual support in times of need.

A wide range of active ageing activities is also supported by the Council of Third Age (C3A) such as a "Befrienders Walk", which aimed to engender intergenerational bonding, and a Seniors Outdoor Activity Adventure Camp which targeted to build confidence in seniors through team-building outdoor camps. C3A plays a major role in catalysing activities and programmes promoting senior volunteerism, healthy living and lifelong learning. These activities encourage our seniors to develop active lifestyles and broaden social networks. Our future seniors will also be better educated and more independent.

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The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) is working with voluntary welfare organisations to scale up support for those who are vulnerable and needy and those without strong family support. These programmes include Seniors Activity Centres and Befriending. Through these programmes, we hope to organise and leverage on volunteers and the community to help this group. For those who are frail and need care, we are building the capacity and capability of service providers to enable more support services for seniors. These include Home Help services and Day Care Centres. We are also developing more integrated care options.

To access these social care support services and schemes, seniors can approach the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL). CEL is a convenient first-stop referral agency that provides information, referrals and link-ups to suitable service providers for seniors in need.

The Government is committed to put in place various programmes and initiatives that support our seniors, be it in active ageing, wellness and eldercare. For seniors without strong family support, we will continue to foster stronger community support from voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and neighbours to facilitate ageing-in-place.

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