, Singapore
434 views
Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels

SG60: ‘Age Well Neighbourhoods’ to support seniors ageing at home

It will first test the model in Toa Payoh.

Singapore will launch “Age Well Neighbourhoods” to support seniors who prefer to age at home, starting in Toa Payoh.

The new programme aims to bring essential services and activities into neighbourhoods so seniors can remain in familiar surroundings, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the National Day Rally on 17 August.

“Many seniors do not want to move out. They have stayed in their homes for many years,” he said. “They are used to their neighbours and familiar with their current environment. They prefer to age where they are.”

Nearly one in four residents in the town is aged 65 and above, making it one of Singapore’s oldest and most senior-populated estates.

The pilot in Toa Payoh will adapt key features from Community Care Apartments (CCAs), which combine housing with care services, but apply them across existing estates.

Wong noted that whilst CCAs are popular, they “cannot be the main solution” given land constraints and the preference among seniors to remain in their current homes.

Plans for Age Well Neighbourhoods include building more Active Ageing Centres (AACs) within walking distance for seniors, expanding home-based services such as health checks, meal deliveries and housekeeping, and bringing healthcare closer to homes through community-based health posts and regular visits by nurses.

Wong said these centres will also offer varied activities, from exercise programmes to carpentry workshops, so seniors can stay engaged and connected. “We want these centres to be places where seniors can meet regularly, stay connected and forge close friendships,” he said.

The government will first test the model in Toa Payoh and one or two other towns with large senior populations before expanding it more broadly.

“We will build a Singapore where every senior – no matter where they stay – can age with dignity, purpose and joy. Not in isolation, never alone, but always together as one Singapore family,” Wong said.

Join Singapore Business Review community
Join Singapore Business Review community
A NOTE FROM SINGAPORE BUSINESS REVIEW

You're the reader we write for. You're also the person our partners want to reach.

If that sentence describes you — a founder, a C-suite, someone whose attention companies pay good money for — then you already understand why SBR works. We've spent twenty years earning the trust of readers exactly like you. Which is exactly what makes this an interesting place for your company to show up, too.

The ways it can show up are broader than most people assume — thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. The right fit depends on what you're trying to do, which is why we'd rather start with a conversation than send a rate card.

If your company has something this audience should know about, we'd like to hear what you're working on.

No rate cards until we understand the brief. It's a better use of everyone's time.