The Government has set aside S$3.5 billion over the next decade to implement Age Well SG – our national programme to support our seniors in ageing well in the community, DPM Heng Swee Keat said.
The number of seniors living alone more than doubled in a decade – from around 28,000 in 2010 to almost 64,000 in 2020.
Our average lifespan is about 84 years and our average healthspan is about 74 years. This means that the average Singaporean suffers 10 years of ill health at the final stage of life.
As our seniors age, it is important that they feel cared for not only in medical terms, but also that they feel valued as individuals in their families, organisations, communities and societies, Mr Heng said.
“There is therefore a need to take a more holistic approach to tackling the ageing challenge,” he said.
Integrated care is a critical part of such a holistic approach, said DPM Heng.
By combining medical interventions, such as early detection and diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, with social care and support, integrated care addresses the full spectrum of seniors’ health and social needs.
This enables our seniors to maintain their autonomy, dignity and well-being as they age, said Mr Heng.
In 2023, Singapore launched a Refreshed Action Plan for Successful Ageing centred on three ‘C’s.
i. The first ‘C’ is Care – to empower seniors to take charge of their physical and mental well-being.
ii. The second ‘C’ is Contribution – to enable seniors to remain active in sharing their knowledge and expertise, and thereby stay resilient.
iii. The third ‘C’ is Connectedness – to support seniors to age-in-place within their built environment, and to stay connected to loved ones and the wider community.
To support this Action Plan, the Government has also set aside S$3.5 billion over the next decade to implement Age Well SG – our national programme to support our seniors in ageing well in the community, Mr Heng said.
A major focus of Age Well SG is to grow the network of Active Ageing Centres or AACs.
These are conveniently located residential neighbourhoods, and serve as nodes for seniors to stay socially engaged and physically active.
AACs do this by offering programmes that promote preventive healthcare, communal interactions and learning.
Through door-to-door visits over the past two years, our Silver Generation Ambassadors have engaged more than 480,000 seniors to better understand their needs and connect them to these AACs.
“We now have a network of more than 210 AACs,” Mr Heng said. “We aim to reach 220 island-wide by 2025,
at which point eight in 10 seniors will have access to AACs in the vicinity of their homes.”
“I have seen firsthand the positive impact that these AACs have on seniors in my East Coast constituency,. by mingling with one another, forming strong support networks and learning new skills.”
