Active ageing centres keep their programmes fresh as they aim to get more seniors to drop in

SINGAPORE: As the demand for programmes at active ageing centres rises, organisations are ramping up their activities to serve more seniors with increasingly diverse backgrounds.

Lions Befrienders, for instance, expects to serve 26,000 seniors by 2030, more than double the 11,000 registered across the 10 centres it runs currently.

“We still have to hit the balance 15,000 as fast as we can. And we're doing it not because it's a numbers game, but because we're racing against time,” said its executive director Karen Wee, adding that the rush is to arrest the seniors’ decline in social, mental, physical and spiritual health.

Getting more seniors to go to these centres is part of a nationwide effort to help them stay socially active in a rapidly ageing population.

The government will expand the network of these centres, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 20). Services offered at the centres and their reach will also be enhanced in an effort to keep an expanding pool of older people active and healthy.

These centres are for seniors living near them to visit and have recreational activities and contribute to the community. Currently, about one in five Singaporeans is a senior, aged 65 and above. By 2030, nearly one in four Singaporeans will be a senior.

MORE SENIORS ATTENDING

Lions Befrienders has seen some success in the past year, with a 30 per cent increase in the number of seniors dropping in this year compared to last year, said Ms Wee.

She said that the seniors were more open to going to the centres when they realised that it was a national initiative following the buzz around them last year, she said.

"This is also because on the ground for the last two years, we have already done the groundwork,” she said, adding that by the time they knock on the doors of the elderly for the third or fourth time, these seniors are less apprehensive.

It was challenging initially because many seniors dismissed them, and they had an 80 per cent rejection rate, she said.

“It also came at the same time (when) we had a lot of scams, and the ‘say no to scams’ (campaigns). Then we had COVID. So, there were a lot of conflicting messages being issued In the community,” she said.

SERVING MORE SENIORS

The role of the centres has changed from 2021, following new guidelines from the Ministry of Health, Ms Wee added.

Before May 2021, the centres were catering mostly to those living in rental flats, with each centre taking care of three to four blocks. However, they now cater to seniors based on geographical boundaries, and across flat types, expanding the reach of each centre to 35 to 40 blocks.

Previously, about three staff would serve 300 seniors. Now, the same number of staff serve about 4,000 seniors.

“For that scale, we need a lot of manpower, meaning two types - paid and volunteer, free. So we look at where the free resources can be. And we realised, it was very good seniors can step up to lead or to support their peers,” she said.

“There are 1 million of them out there. We only need 10 per cent of them to step up to support the other seniors.”

NEED FOR CREATIVE PROGRAMMES

She added that the profile of elderly they serve has also changed.

“The profile of seniors now is more educated, more demanding, more knowledgeable and also very used to having choices,” she said.

To cater to the diverse group and keep them returning, the programmes they develop must be exciting, creative and innovative, she said.

“Previously, senior centres always had bingo. But not everyone is for bingo. And so we started using technology. It's not just about training, but also about co-creating. So one of our centres does videography, they do stop motion,” she said.

The situation is the same at the 12 centres run by NTUC Health. In January this year, their active ageing programme got a “reboot”.

Now, they run novel programmes like coding and robotics to keep the young-at-heart engaged.

"The key point is that we want to enhance their physical, mental and social wellness. And at the same time, we also say that this is very important, so that we can attract seniors with different interest to come to our active ageing centres,” said Dr Lily Yeo, head of active ageing centres under NTUC Health.

Across the centres, on average, about 10,000 seniors participate every month, although Dr Yeo said there is “plenty of room” to engage more seniors.

Seniors who attend these centres are getting a chance to pursue their passions. Among them is Mr Francis Khong, who put up a show with his peers last September.

Acting remains one of his favourites activities at the Lions Befrienders active ageing centre he goes to, just five minutes away from home in Ghim Moh. 

Mr Khong is there four times a week, bonding with his friends over such hobbies.

“We make a lot of new friends down here (at the centre) like doing exercises. After exercise, we talk, 'how's your life now? Are you okay?',” he said.