Effectiveness of Singapore Red Cross' Home Monitoring and Eldercare System and Outreach Strategies to Encourage Installation

Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the effectiveness of the Singapore Red Cross' Home Monitoring and Eldercare (HoME+) system; (b) whether there are plans to encourage more seniors living alone to install the HoME+ system; and (c) if so, what are these outreach plans.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: We encourage the use of detection and monitoring technologies to support ageing in place. For example, the Ministry of Health will be introducing a 24/7 fall and movement monitoring and response service under the Enhanced Home Personal Care Service. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is also extending the wireless Alert Alarm System to seniors staying in about 170 public rental blocks.

For seniors staying in HDB flats, HDB partners with market-ready commercial vendors to offer optional assistive-living technologies. HDB is open to assessing the feasibility of the HoME+ system for inclusion in this programme.