All Singaporeans aged 65 and up to be visted by volunteers, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
Singapore

All Singaporeans aged 65 and up to be visted by volunteers

This article is more than 12 months old

All Singaporeans aged 65 and up will get at least one visit a year from Pioneer Generation Ambassadors

A national drive is under way to find out the specific needs of different seniors, in a move to explain and refine policies relevant to them.

This will see all Singaporeans aged 65 and older getting at least one visit a year from volunteers, who will help them understand schemes such as the Silver Support Scheme and how to take charge of their well-being.

There are about 3,000 of these Pioneer Generation Ambassadors, and the plan is to add 10 per cent more this year, said the Pioneer Generation Office (PGO).

This army of volunteers will increase "in tandem with the growing population of senior citizens", the PGO told The Straits Times, noting that by 2030, one in four citizens, or more than 900,000 Singaporeans, will be aged 65 and older.

Experts like sociologist Tan Ern Ser see the move as a way to mitigate inter-generational tensions that could arise from the younger working population feeling burdened by rising spending on eldercare needs.

The National University of Singapore associate professor said: "If seniors can stay healthy, remain gainfully employed and have sufficient savings, the need to keep raising taxes and exploring other means to fund senior programmes would be reduced."

The PGO also sees value in tapping seniors as volunteers, and is actively recruiting. Forty per cent of its active ambassadors are aged 60 and older.

Since the ambassador programme started four years ago, volunteers' roles have expanded.

Initially, they were trained to explain the $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package.

Today, they take in seniors' feedback. And instead of helping only pioneers, who are 69 or older this year, their target group has expanded to include all from age 65.

Housewife Somasundaram Saradha Devi, 47, a volunteer in Bishan, welcomes the expanded role. She visits families three to four times a week. Some are initially hostile, venting their frustrations with the Government.

"We try to persuade and console them," she said. "When we go the following years to tell them about different schemes, they are welcoming."

She gets information on their concerns and lifestyle habits. The data helps shape the work of the PGO, which analyses them and has focus group discussions before deciding on new topics to raise with seniors.

From August 2016 to last September, more than 70 per cent or some 350,000 seniors have been visited at least once by ambassadors. For some, like retired hairdresser Leong Yew Heng, 85, PGO staff and volunteers are the first people they call when faced with a problem.

Last December, her husband's legs swelled up. She called the PGO, and its workers went to her Toa Payoh flat and have checked on the couple about six times.

"I am thankful to them. I was helpless because of the language barriers," said Madam Leong, who does not speak English .

FOR MORE, READ THE STRAITS TIME TODAY

COMMUNITY ISSUES