Over 20,000 seniors to get easier access to active ageing programmes near their homes

SINGAPORE: Over 20,000 seniors across Singapore will have easier access to Active Ageing Centres (AACs) near their homes over the next one to two years, as part of a national drive to help people age well in their communities, two Cabinet ministers announced on Wednesday (Apr 2).

The centres help seniors stay active and socially engaged through activities with other residents, such as communal dining sessions and physical exercise like parkour.

“MOH is devoting about S$800 million over five years – FY24 to FY28 – to expand the number of Active Ageing Centres in Singapore, and also to give each centre more resources to organise more activities,” said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.

He was speaking at the launch of Our Residents’ Hub, a pop-up communal facility for community and active ageing activities at Jalan Mas Kuning Playground in West Coast. National Development Minister Desmond Lee was also present.

“Today we have 223 AACs around Singapore, up from about 150 when we first started, and each centre now has almost double their budget to carry out more activities,” said Mr Ong.

The AACs are part of Age Well SG, a national plan launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Transport (MOT), to support seniors here as they grow older.

CLOSER TO HOME

The hub launched on Wednesday is an example of a new initiative to help seniors better access AAC activities, said MOH and MND in a joint press release.

Created by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), National Parks Board and People’s Association (PA), it enables community partners to bring active ageing programmes closer to seniors in the vicinity, including those living in nearby private housing estates.

National Development Minister Desmond Lee said that in Housing Board estates, there are Resident Network centres, void decks and space in community clubs and centres that can be utilised.

“But it may not be so easy in private estates. And people age all over Singapore, whether in private housing, public housing, and we just need to find spaces creatively, innovatively, opportunistically, in order for these activities to take place,” he said.

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 incidental space in Joo Chiat will be set up, while current examples include a “mobile AAC” concept by Presbyterian Community Services Hannah AAC, with vehicles used to transport equipment to Anak Bukit parks for activities, such as K-pop fitness, said MND and MOH in the press release.

“For seniors, it is very important. It's not just about seeing doctors, taking vaccinations and going for screenings,” said Mr Ong, adding that it is equally crucial to maintain friendships, and keep both the heart and mind healthy.

“I hope with all these efforts we can encourage more of our seniors to come out and play.”

SENIOR-FRIENDLY INFRASTRUCTURE

Beyond AACs, there are also other initiatives to help seniors live more safely and comfortably, such as enhancing senior-friendly infrastructure within homes and in estates, MND and MOH said.

“For HDB estates, MND has rolled out various initiatives, including the Silver Upgrading Programme and Neighbourhood Renewal Programme to improve 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 scope of the EUP for Regular Estates and the EASE programme have also been expanded to cater to the needs of seniors.

Efforts to better integrate age-inclusive and senior-friendly features and amenities into Singapore’s estates will also be incorporated into the ongoing review for the Draft Master Plan 2025, according to MND and MOH.

SPOTLIGHT ON WEST COAST

“Bearing in mind that we have many seniors both in our public estates and our private estates all across West Coast, we need to put in a lot of effort to take better care of our seniors, and Age Well SG is a very important national initiative that needs to be implemented effectively 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.

“We see very clearly and hear very clearly from the seniors living in this area that we should do more, and we will be doing that,” he said, citing Our Residents’ Hub as one such effort.

Mr Lee said that the nearby Clementi Stadium will be redeveloped into an ActiveSG space, with a running track and fitness equipment that seniors can use. Green spaces in the ward are also being enhanced with seniors in mind, as well as young adults and children.

He also highlighted a stretch of West Coast Road, near West Coast Plaza and West Coast Food Centre, which had recently been upgraded. 

“That stretch of West Coast Road had recently completed the Friendly Streets upgrading, which is among the first batch that MOT – which is also part of the Age Well SG movement – had rolled out,” said Mr Lee.

Also at the event on Wednesday was People's Action Party new face Natasha Choy, who met and engaged with residents alongside the two Cabinet ministers.

“Natasha has joined us recently. She's an active member of NTUC, a trade unionist, and she's coming here to learn about the community, to learn about the initiatives that we’ve rolled out,” said Mr Lee.