Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General and CEO of Singapore Red Cross
Professor Bernardo Figueiredo of RMIT University
Singapore Red Cross Donors, Partners, Volunteers and Staff
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen
1 A very good morning everybody.
2 I am very happy and delighted to be here this morning at the Singapore Red Cross – a refreshed venue I was told and quite recently – to engage in an issue that is close to my heart. Let me start by going off script. Many of my seniors in Queenstown, the area where I serve, are in fact 60 years and above. In fact, Prime Minister Wong talked about ageing at a pace where we will become a super-aged society by 2026. At Queenstown, about 30 per cent of my residents are already 60 and above. More than a quarter, one in four, Queenstowners are today already seniors. I’m glad to have the opportunity to have very mindful and meaningful discussions around this issue and I hope we can shift perspectives. There was a slide that Sec Gen had on about shifting perspectives and I hope we can talk more about that.
3 I am very happy to see this gathering of representatives from government agencies, friends from overseas, academia, social service agencies, practitioners, philanthropic organisations, corporate and civic organisations, to share collaborative ideas for a sustainable future. I look forward to a robust panel discussion later as well.
Supporting our Seniors
4 Now the demographic profile of our seniors is changing — they are living longer, as Benjamin mentioned. Lifespan in Singapore is about 84 years and we’re becoming more educated and affluent. In Singapore, the gap between lifespan and health span is about 10 years. That means the average senior will spend slightly upwards of 10 years in not so good health, needing treatments and medication, some of which may be expensive.
5 To address these shifting realities, the Government has dedicated quite a lot of resources to narrow the gap between health span and lifespan by making the population healthier. Even though today we are recognised as one of the world’s blue zones 2.0, we are unique because we don’t naturally have the cultural and societal norms that nudge us towards being healthy. Just think about the favourite foods that we eat. We love our food in Singapore. We use our food delivery apps and go to neighbourhood coffee shops or food centres, many which are open till midnight. So naturally because of societal and cultural norms we don’t quite fit the characteristics of a blue zone but by policy and administration, we have become one of the few blue zones 2.0. We’re starting off on a strong base.
6 The largest determinant of good health is not how good the healthcare system is. The larger part of that is social in nature. Factors include the living environment, pollution, education and work, which is why the Government is supporting our seniors to not just live longer, but also enjoy healthier and more engaged lives. One key move was to launch Healthier SG in 2023 because we wanted to orientate our healthcare system towards promoting good healthy living habits, instead of just focusing on treating sickness. We want to focus on upstream interventions, which are less painful and expensive than treating diseases after they are detected.
Age Well SG
7 To complement Healthier SG, we also launched Age Well SG to support seniors to age well in their homes and communities. A national programme led by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Transport, Age Well SG aims to help our seniors age actively, stay socially connected, and be cared for within their communities.
8 The initiative reflects Singapore’s commitment to not only meet the basic needs of seniors, but ensures that there are comprehensive, integrated, and quality options for seniors to lead fulfilling and dignified lives.
a. To that end, we’re extending our network of Active Ageing Centres (AACs) to keep seniors physically active and socially connected.
b. We’re enhancing our care offerings to better support caregivers and ensure care for their loved ones.
c. We’re also improving infrastructure, such as the installation of subsidised senior-friendly fittings like foldable grab bars and home fire alarm devices under the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme by HDB. This is in the brochures that I carry every weekend when I go for my home visits. I can talk more about this in the panel discussion later.
d. We’ve launched programmes like the Silver Generation Ambassadors and the Silver Guardians initiative to form extensive volunteer support networks for seniors. These volunteers engage seniors in their communities and strengthen support for successful ageing.
9 To build an ecosystem for seniors to age in place in their neighbourhoods, we are strengthening community and healthcare support through “Age Well Neighbourhoods”. This was recently announced at the National Day Rally by Prime Minister Wong and MOH will share more details in the coming months.
A self-sustaining eldercare ecosystem
10 I must say at this point that there is only so much that the Government can do. I’ve rattled off a number of Government initiatives, but these are not enough. We do need community efforts such as the Singapore Red Cross to engage and care for our seniors. These are equally vital efforts as well.
11 The Singapore Red Cross’ caregiving training, for instance, contributes to a self-sustaining eldercare ecosystem. Open to the public, these training courses empower more confident befrienders and caregivers. In addition, the Singapore Red Cross’ community befriending programme engages older persons to stay-alone seniors, creating a more expansive and sustainable eldercare pool. With a network of elderly contributors and peers to support and befriend one another, our elderly will hopefully age well together, and this eases the demand for more formal eldercare services. This community-centred approach aligns well with the broader vision of Age Well SG.
12 I encourage organisations to support this initiative and look forward to seeing the Singapore Red Cross grow its community of befrienders and medical chaperones.
Collaboration and Innovations
13 I am also very happy to hear that the Singapore Red Cross has devoted significant effort to catalyse innovations, integration and inclusion, through its Mental Health & Caregiver Support Training, Home Safety & Eldercare programmes, and Social Inclusion and Elder Empowerment initiatives.
14 I look forward to launching the Singapore Red Cross’ Home Monitoring and Eldercare (HoME+) 2.0, which includes useful enhancements such as presence sensors and intercom. I hope that with the support of more donors and funders, this solution can be integrated in even more homes, help avert crises and save lives.
In conclusion
15 To conclude, I would like to commend the staff and volunteer teams for your dutiful and consistent support and work over the years. With your donors’ support - I hear many of whom are here with us this morning - your collective efforts support seniors to live with dignity and purpose in their golden years, and ultimately, contribute to a successful aging-in-place and living in the community.
16 Thank you for your steadfast efforts and partnership in building an inclusive and caring Singapore, where every senior feels valued and supported. Please continue the good work and I look forward to a meaningful panel discussion later. Thank you very much.