More elderly in Singapore turning to helplines for loneliness and mental health support

More seniors have called a helpline in the past two years to seek comfort and assistance for their loneliness, anxiety and emotional distress.

The Aces Care HelpLife was launched in 2022 to help the elderly meet a number of challenges, from fixing lightbulbs and leaky pipes to getting someone to accompany them to medical appointments.

But the charity that runs the helpline has noticed a steady increase in the number of seniors calling over issues related to mental health, it told The Straits Times.

"Many elderly individuals live in isolation, which often leads to emotional distress, loneliness and early signs of depression. They experience anxiety, emotional distress, or even suicidal thoughts," Aces Care centre director Loh Wee Hiang said.

"Often, they just need someone to talk to. Our volunteers, trained in basic counselling, provide empathetic support and a listening ear," he added.

The helpline also refers callers to other agencies like the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) if they feel more specialised care is needed.

In more severe cases, like when a caller expresses suicidal thoughts, the team refers them to contact professional counselling hotlines such as the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) and the Care Corner Counselling Hotline.

"Our team takes each case seriously and ensures that follow-up support is provided until the senior receives the help they need," Mr Loh told The Straits Times.

Madam Azizah Abdul Rahim, who started volunteering with the helpline in 2023, said she recently encountered a senior who was under a lot of stress from caregiving for her own elderly parents.

The woman needed help transporting her ill parents to and from medical check-ups but had limited funds. Madam Azizah referred her to AIC for support.

"She was happy to know there was a place she could turn to," she said.

"Usually, seniors just need a listening ear to share their problems. Some are very depressed and face family issues but don't know where to turn for help," she added.

The helpline has received a total of 7,144 calls since it was launched in 2022. It received 2,268 and 2,415 calls in 2023 and 2024 respectively. It primarily serves seniors in Ang Mo Kio, but expanded outreach efforts to Tampines in October 2024.

The helpline is staffed by volunteers who are seniors themselves and thus in a better position to offer empathy and understanding. Since 2022, more than 200 people have volunteered, and there are about 50 active volunteers at present.

Each volunteer undergoes training that covers how to use laptops and headsets to take calls, responding to elderly care needs, identifying scams, and providing basic counselling support.

Volunteers do three-hour shifts and are compensated $5 an hour.

Other than mental health reasons, one of the top reasons seniors contact HelpLife is for help with small but important tasks like changing light bulbs, fixing leaking pipes and doing minor household repairs.

"These seemingly simple issues can greatly affect their safety and comfort," said Mr Loh.

Volunteers connect the caller with a trusted handyman who can help them with what they need.

The charity's list of handymen has been vetted and sourced to ensure trustworthiness, he said.

One of the many handymen on their list is a former HDB contractor who wishes to give back to the community by assisting seniors. He offers his services for a price lower than the market rate.

Madam Soh Gek Neo Ann, who has been volunteering with the helpline since its launch, said she remembers receiving a call from a man who said he had been living in darkness for many years.

The 72-year-old and a few other volunteers decided to visit him on the same day, as they wondered how he could have no electricity and still watch TV.

They discovered that all the light starters in his flat were faulty, and he had been using candles to light up his home.

They assisted him with contacting the HDB maintenance office for help.

Madam Soh, who used to work in accounting, said: "We were saddened that the man had been living in darkness for so many years simply due to a lack of knowledge."

Seniors also call for help to clarify Government support schemes and see if they are eligible and how to apply if so.

Aces Care said there are also more requests for home support services like meal deliveries and cleaning assistance, highlighting the growing need for practical support for seniors ageing in place.

For calls involving home support, medical escorts, or help with accessing government services, the helpline's volunteers will refer seniors to agencies and partners like the AIC, HDB and Allkin Singapore.

Volunteers follow-up with the seniors, calling weekly until their concern is resolved or until they say that further assistance is not required. From June 2022 to February, almost 14,700 follow-up calls were made.

The helpline addresses some unmet needs of Singapore's ageing population, Mr Loh said. By 2030, one in four citizens in Singapore will be aged 65 and above, up from one in six now.

Helping these seniors with essential tasks at home enables them to live independently and safely, the spokesperson added.

Seniors who often feel anxious about using digital tools for banking and booking medical or telehealth appointments also feel more confident when they have someone on the line helping them.

Aces Care had planned to expand the helpline islandwide by 2025, but faced several hurdles that have delayed that goal.

One area of concern is the volunteers that run the line, they said. Each new constituency they serve would require a group of trained senior volunteers, and expanding services would mean recruiting and training hundreds of seniors.

As their volunteers are seniors, they also face health and mobility issues, which has lead to a higher turnover rate and the need for continual recruitment.

An islandwide helpline would also require more funding since it would have higher operational costs, the charity said. This includes higher fees for licensing and server-hosting, and reimbursement for the volunteers.

Securing multi-year grants at scale has proven more complex than anticipated, it said.

Mr Loh said the charity has chosen to fine-tune and enhance their current services, rather than put their volunteer's experience and caller's satisfaction at stake by spreading services too thin.

The helpline operates from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays. Seniors can contact the helpline at 6797 6797.