PROBLEMS OF THE AGED

Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Acting Minister for Community Development whether his Ministry has accepted and implemented the various recommendations, that are within the purview of his Ministry, contained in the Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged (Paper Misc. 3 of 1984).

Mr Wong Kan Seng: The Ministry of Community Development has accepted in-principle the recommendations of the Committee on Problems of the Aged (CPA) that are within the purview of the Ministry. Many of the recommendations have been or are being implemented.

The Ministry has set up a Committee to co-ordinate the development of programmes and activities for the aged. It is also liaising with other organisations to monitor implementation of programmes which they are responsible for.

The actions taken so far are detailed below. A. Community-based Social Services The Ministry has developed a range of community-based social services to help the aged to live in their own homes. These are:- (a) Befriender Service To-date, the Befriender Service has been introduced in 12 constituencies where there are larger numbers of single aged. 635 senior citizens are befriended by 177 volunteers. The plan is to extend the Befriender Service to all constituencies by FY 1990. (b) Home Help Service This service was started in January this year. Under the scheme, a home helper visits the aged person in his home and helps in domestic chores and activities of daily living. We have registered 22 helpers and 22 users of the service. (c) The Ministry conducted a survey in January/February 1985 among 260 senior citizens registered with the Befriender Service in six constituencies to gauge the demand for a Meal Delivery Service. The response to such a Service was poor. The supply of meals, if required, will be incorporated as part of the Befriender Service. B. Day Care Centres The Day Care Centres run by voluntary welfare organisations provide basic nursing and simple physio-therapeutic treatment for the elderly who require follow-up rehabilitative care after their discharge from hospitals. They also provide an alternative place where the elderly can go to and spend the day so that they do not have to remain at home. At present there are three Day Care Centres, namely: (1) Apex Club Day Care Centre for the Elderly (2) Day Care Centre for the Elderly at Ling Kwang Home (3) Henderson Senior Citizens' Corner. The Ministry is encouraging more voluntary welfare organisations to set up Day Care Centres. Community Homes with low occupancy are encouraged and helped to offer day care services for senior citizens. Some of them could be turned into Day Care Centres. For example, the Zion Home for the Aged has agreed to convert half the present premises of the Home into a Day Care Centre. C. Respite Care Service Respite Care Service provides accommodation for the aged sick away from home for short periods of time. The break helps to reduce stress and pressures felt by family members in caring for the aged. The Ministry has drawn up guidelines for existing voluntary Homes for the Aged to provide Respite Care Service. At present, the Service is available at five Homes, namely: (i) Assisi Home (ii) Little Sister of the Poor (iii) Ling Kwang Home for the Elders (iv) Lions Nursing Home (v) St Joseph's Home Another eight Homes have indicated that they plan to introduce the Service in the future. D. Homes for the Aged We agree with the CPA recommendation that there should be two types of Homes, namely: (i) Homes for the Destitute; and (ii) Homes for the Aged Sick. The Government will continue to run Homes for the Destitute under the provisions of the Destitute Persons Act. Homes for the Aged Sick should be run by commercial and voluntary organisations. The Ministry has drawn up a set of criteria for admission of the aged to Homes run by voluntary organisations. The Singapore Council of Social Service is persuading the Homes run by voluntary organisations to play a more active role in catering to the needs of the aged sick. We have also drawn up Guidelines on Minimum Standards of Care for the Homes for the Aged and Aged Sick. The Guidelines enable the management of the Homes to know the facilities they must have and those they should have in order to provide adequate services for the residents. We are studying legislation of other countries with a view to introducing legislation, if required, for the control, supervision and management of the Homes. E. Training of Homes Personnel The Ministry is conducting a series of training courses to train staff in Homes for the Aged in:- (i) psycho-social needs and common disorders in the elderly; (ii) general nursing care; (iii) exercises for the disabled aged; (iv) communicating with the elderly; (v) coping with disability and daily living activities of the elderly; (vi) coping with death, dying and bereavement. F. Staffing The Homes for the Aged, especially those housing the aged sick, have difficulties recruiting and retaining local staff because they are not willing to: (i) take care of the chronic sick or the mentally retarded who are bedridden and incontinent; (ii) do shift or night work. There is also a high turnover of home staff because of the lack of dedication and commitment required to put up with the demands of the residents of the Home. The Ministry is helping the Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) which run the Homes to recruit foreign workers. To-date, we have helped them to recruit 29 foreign workers as nurses, nursing aides, ward attendants, etc. G. Obligation to Maintain Parents We have to study very carefully the implications of legislation requiring children to maintain their parents. Legislation should not be rushed through without adequate evaluation. The laws and experiences of other countries are being studied and evaluated. H. Senior Citizens' Clubs The RCs and CCCs run 60 Senior Citizens' Clubs for more than 9,000 members. PA has 47 Senior Citizens' Clubs for more than 10,000 members as well as its own Community Centre Senior Citizens' Club Co-ordinating Council which co-ordinates the activities of their Senior Citizens' Clubs. By mid '86, every constituency will have a Senior Citizens' Club. The Senior Citizens' Clubs provide educational, recreational and cultural programmes and activities for the senior citizens. These activities provide the senior citizens with opportunities to spend their time more meaningfully and provide avenues for them to be more socially active. I. Senior Citizens Health Centres We are working with the Ministry of Health to set up Senior Citizens' Health Centres. These Centres will provide rehabilitative care for the frail and semi-mobile elderly and complement the Senior Citizens' Clubs whose activities are targetted for the aged who are ambulant. The Ministry of Health intends to set up 10 Senior Citizens' Health Centres over the next five years at a rate of two a year. Where possible, the Centres will be set up in Polyclinics. J. Dissemination of Health Information and Advice The Ministry plans to publish a booklet containing health information and advice for senior citizens. In addition, material and slides prepared by the Ministry of Health's Training and Education Department are also available for use of the Senior Citizens' Clubs. We are working with the Ministry of Health's Training and Education Department to organise regular talks at Community Centres and Senior Citizens' Clubs to disseminate health information and advice. K. Health Screening An approach is being made to the various authorities to get doctors, especially those having practices in HDB estates, to volunteer their services to conduct health screening examinations for senior citizens. The examination will be co-ordinated by the Senior Citizens' Clubs of the PA and RCs. L. Regular Exercises The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) has drawn up some simple exercises specially geared for the aged. They are training staff of the Senior Citizens' Clubs and some Homes for the Aged to conduct the exercises for their members/ residents.