MND and the Urban Redevelopment Authority ( URA ) will continue to identify more sites for AACs in private housing and HDB estates.
A new AAC by Montfort Care at the Marine Parade MRT extraneous place in Joo Chiat may be set up, while recent examples include a “mobile AAC” strategy by Presbyterian Community Services Hannah AAC, with vehicles used to move gear to Anak Bukit parks for activities, such as K-pop fitness, said MND and MOH in the press release.
” For elderly, it is very important. It’s not just about seeing physicians, taking treatments and going for checks”, said Mr Ong, adding that it is extremely crucial to maintain friends, and keep both the heart and mind good.
” I hope with all these work we can promote more of our elders to come out and play”.
SENIOR-FRIENDLY INFRASTRUCTURE
Beyond AACs, there are also other initiatives to help seniors sit more safely and comfortably, such as enhancing senior-friendly system within homes and in lands, MND and MOH said.
” For HDB lands, MND has rolled out different activities, including the Silver Upgrading Programme and Neighbourhood Renewal Programme to strengthen infrastructure”, they said.
The Enhancement for Active Seniors ( EASE ) 2.0 programme, for instance, subsidises a senior-friendly infrastructure, like grab-bars, slip resistant floors and widened toilet entrances, the ministries said.
” For private estates, the first batch of the Estate Upgrading Programme ( EUP) for Silver Estates has been launched, where estates with higher concentration of seniors and have benefitted from EUP some time ago will be selected for senior–friendly enhancements to better support their ageing residents”, they added.
The range of the EUP for Regular Estates and the EASE program have also been expanded to cater to the needs of elders.
Attempts to better connect age-inclusive and senior-friendly functions and features into Singapore’s lands will also be incorporated into the continuous assessment for the Draft Master Plan 2025, according to MND and MOH.
SPOTLIGHT ON WEST Beach
” Bearing in mind that we have some seniors both in our common estates and our personal estates both across West Coast, we need to throw in a lot of effort to take better care of our seniors, and Age Also SG is a very significant nationwide initiative that needs to be implemented properly on the ground through tighter coordination”, said Mr Lee.
Mr Lee is currently the anchor minister in West Coast GRC.
He added that his team has been engaging with residents there for almost two years, through house visits and other festive occasions and gatherings, such as National Day and Chinese New Year events.