$3billion Action Plan To Enable Singaporeans To Age Successfully

The Ministerial Committee on Ageing recently unveiled key new features of a $3billion national plan to help Singaporeans age confidently and lead active lives.

The Action Plan for Successful Ageing that was mentioned in the National Day Rally speech, includes approximately 60 initiatives covering 12 areas, namely, health and wellness, learning, volunteerism, employment, housing, transport, public spaces, respect and social inclusion, retirement adequacy, healthcare and aged care, protection for vulnerable seniors and research. It comes after a year-long series of consultations involving over 4,000 Singaporeans and grassroots leaders by the Ministerial Committee and its partners.

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister-in-Charge of Ageing and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, said that, “We need to plan ahead to ensure that Singaporeans need not worry about getting old but instead embrace new opportunities that come with longevity. We want Singapore to be the best place for Singaporeans to grow old in, and a model for successful ageing.”

The Action Plan contains over 20 initiatives to create more opportunities for active agers to keep healthy, continue learning and developing as they enjoy many more years of healthy life. The key initiatives include:

1. A new ‘National Silver Academy’ that will be created to offer a wide range of learning opportunities for active agers to learn for interest and to stay active. It aims to provide more than 30,000 places for seniors by 2030. The Academy will comprise a network of institutions such as Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), community organisations and post-secondary education institutions. Programmes offered under the Academy will include the Intergenerational Learning Programme (ILP) developed by the Council for Third Age (C3A). C3A aims to reach out to a total of 100 schools and VWOs/community organisations to come on board the ILP.

2. The President’s Challenge will champion a national movement of senior volunteerism, to encourage an additional 50,000 active agers to contribute their talents and experience to community development by 2030.

3. A National Seniors’ Health Programme will be launched to empower at least 400,000 active agers aged 50 years or older by 2030 to age more healthily. The national programme will include healthy lifestyle campaigns and activities in the community as well as targeted interventions for mature workers at workplaces. The series of campaigns and initiatives will cover key aspects of the active agers’ health such as nutrition, dementia and physical activity, to empower them to take charge of their health and remain healthy and fit.

4. The re-employment age will be raised from 65 to 67 by 2017 to enable workers to work longer if they are willing and able to.

The full Action Plan report will be released next year. It will serve as the blueprint to help Singapore transform into a Nation for All Ages – a best place for Singaporeans to grow old in, and an icon for successful ageing in the region.

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