Marine Parade study on the needs of Elderly – ST – 13 Dec 2010

Source:  http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_613265.html

A PILOT study is to be launched in Marine Parade ward to discover the needs of the elderly and how the Government can create a support system for this growing group in Singapore's population.

It will include a survey of residents aged 60 and older, to give policymakers an insight into the amenities they wish to see in their homes as well as around their estates, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday when he announced the plan.

The study will be carried out over five years by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and other government agencies in partnership with grassroots organisations of Marine Parade ward, part of Marine Parade GRC. Mr Goh said MCYS will announce the details today.

Mr Goh, who is the ward's MP, said it was picked for the study due to its greying population, which he called 'a precursor' to the situation Singapore will face in 20 years' time, when one in five - or about 900,000 people - will be aged 65 and older.

'We are 20 years ahead of the other communities in Singapore in terms of the ageing profile of the old population,' he said at a Christmas celebration at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel yesterday, organised by St Hilda's Community Services Centre for about 400 elderly residents from Tanjong Rhu in Marine Parade GRC.

The need for 'a more holistic study' on the implications of an ageing population, Mr Goh said, was prompted by discussions he has held with Cabinet ministers on the greying population in Singapore and, in particular, his Marine Parade ward.

Beyond physical facilities, the study will help identify the government policies and services that would have to be put in place for an ageing population, he said.

The survey will first help the Government identify the gaps. Policies can then be crafted to cater to the elderly population's needs, and the policies' cost-effectiveness will subsequently be evaluated, he added.

He said the Marine Parade experience could be drawn on for application in other constituencies and 'hopefully for the whole of Singapore in time to come'.

When asked what new amenities they would like to have, the elderly at yesterday's Christmas high tea mentioned the extension of covered linkways, as well as more exercise facilities near their homes.

Madam Lai Nguk Chin, 65, also wants more food stalls and grocery shops near her home. Currently, many people take the bus to the markets at Marine Parade town centre or in Old Airport Road.

'If you tell an old person to take a bus to the market when he may already have trouble walking, he might give up on the idea and eat bread instead,' she said.

Madam Lai was also full of praise for St Hilda's Community Services Centre, especially its day-care and physiotherapy services for elderly residents.

Social events, like yesterday's high tea, are also important, she added: 'It's a good chance to mix with our neighbours in a relaxed setting and enjoy ourselves for a few hours.'

Earlier, in his speech, Mr Goh reiterated a call made by the organisation's chairman, the Reverend Canon Soon Soo Kee, for more young volunteers to step forward.

'Looking to the future, we are going to see more (elderly), and we'll need more young people to come forward to help them grow old graciously, to make their life more comfortable.'

By doing so, they will help turn Singapore into a more caring, compassionate society where 'everybody, whether you're in need of finances or in need of help, you're very much a part of the community (and) somebody is there to care for you'.