AN ONLINE PORTAL TO ENGAGE SENIORS

Council for Third Age (C3A), Singapore launched its Chinese portal yesterday at the National Library. SeniorsAloud was invited to attend the ceremony.

In his speech at the ceremony, MP Mr Heng Chee How said, "Society's perception of seniors can only change with our seniors' perception of themselves. I am happy to note that many of our seniors are embarking on their active ageing journey, leading active and healthy lifestyles.

There is also a growing number of seniors participating in the myriad of programmes available for them to pick up new skills, discover new interests and hobbies, and stay engaged in lifelong learning in their silver years....One area where seniors are interested in is that of technology. Seniors today have access to technology and many are using it to stay in touch with their friends and relatives through various platforms, including social media.

Not many countries have a minister in charge of Active
Ageing and Employability. The government takes the
challenges of an ageing population seriously.

Thus it is most timely that Council for Third Age is launching a Chinese portal, after having achieved success with their current English portal which has reached out to more than 200,000 visitors since its inception in 2012."

Well said, Minister! Exactly why SeniorsAloud places priority in encouraging seniors to pick up some pc skills to enable them to go online to learn, discover and connect. Oh, and to enjoy too. The benefits are endless.

Seniors present at the launch were shown a step by step guide on how to navigate the portal so that they could easily explore all the features on their own at home. These include upcoming activities, recipes, videos, discounts, and much more.

You can access the C3A portal at www.c3a.org.sg/. Lots of goodies for seniors, especially if you live in Singapore.

The launch also saw participants of the Kopi and Toast buddy programme receiving their Certificates of Completion from the Minister. This is a 6-month mentor-mentee programme where an active senior is paired with a less active senior to build a meaningful friendship of mutual support through activities and learning. The mentors are given free training by C3A prior to matching them with a buddy each. Thumbs up for this initiative, C3A!

Some of the mentors (kopi) after receiving their certificates from Mr Heng Chee How

The mentees (toast) posing with Mdm Chua Foo Yong, Chairman of C3A and Mr Heng Chee How.

Mentee Mdm Sunita Khemlani was happy to have participated in the programme and made new friends.

For a guide to what's available on the C3A portal, please watch the video below. Do share the link with Chinese-speaking seniors. Just click on the language icon on the top right corner of the C3A home page to switch from one language to the other.

ACTIVITIES A-PLENTY FOR SENIORS IN SINGAPORE

(All newspaper clippings from The Straits Times.)

Boredom would be the least of your complaints if you are a senior citizen residing in Singapore. The Minister in charge of Ageing Issues, Mr Lim Boon Heng, is taking the lead by urging voluntary welfare organizations to do more to take care of the growing elderly population. The government, through its implementation arm - Council for Third Age - is going full steam to promote active ageing. Never a week goes by without an event organized specially for the senior citizens.

Some that deserve mention:

The Senior Citizens Water Carnival 2009: 200 senior citizens aged above 50 participated in the event organized by the Sembawang SC Executive Committee.


Care and Share 2009: More than 5000 needy elderly folks were treated to a 7-course dinner with lucky draws, a magic show and performances by local celebrities. Organized by Hope Community Service Centre.

Belly Dancing Classes every Monday evening at Bishan Dance Studio for retirees and cancer survivors.

50+ Active Agers Awards 2009: Now in its third year, the award recognizes senior citizens who are role models of active ageing.

Upcoming events:

"Ageing and Resilience" - organized by Chinese Women's Association on 28 Nov 2009 at Sheraton Towers Hotel. Registration fee: S$10.

Silver Infocomm Day: 28 Nov & 12 Dec, 8.30am-3.30pm; 29 Nov & 13 Dec, 1pm-5pm. FREE! Topics include Introduction toWindows 7, social networking & microblogging with Twitter, healthcare technologies, etc. For more about IT for Seniors, click here.

I wish our Malaysian senior citizens clubs had more going than the usual line-dancing, karaoke sessions and the occasional trips.

SENIOR CITIZENS HAVE IT GOOD IN SINGAPORE

Managed to get a shot of the plane before boarding at Subang Airport.

Last Tuesday I flew to Singapore on Firefly. It was my first time flying on a twin-turbopro plane (not sure if that’s the correct name). It turned out to be a very pleasant experience. The aircraft was new, the crew was courteous and the service was efficient. Passengers were allocated seats, and served light refreshments – a muffin and an orange juice for the 60-minute flight. No need to scramble for choice seats or pay for pricey in-flight snacks. What a welcome difference compared to the service on other budget airlines where passengers have to pay for anything they consume or use.

Another plus point is all departures are from Subang Airport – so much nearer and cheaper than going all the way to KLIA. I paid less than RM100 one way for the fare to Singapore. The next time you are planning a trip south to Singapore, you might want to check out Firefly. It’s definitely easier on the pocket and more hassle-free for senior citizens. Oh, one more thing - the Subang airport terminal building has been given a major face-lift befitting an airport of the 21st century.

Subang Airport check-in counters.

Speaking as a senior citizen, every trip I make to Singapore is an enriching experience. I usually stay a week or so. There’s always something going on for senior citizens. Browse The Straits Times and you will find news reports on the latest initiatives or projects undertaken by the government. Check the events page, and you are bound to come across some talks or workshops specifically targeted at the seniors.

Here’s a sampling:

A snapshot of the news report on VISA in the Straits Times

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have teamed up to set up the Virtual Institute for the Study of Ageing (VISA). Any group working on projects related to helping the elderly can apply for funding from MCYS and have the expertise of 300 researchers from NUS at their disposal to fine-tune their projects. These researchers come from a diverse multi-disciplinary group comprising doctors, engineers, architects and social scientists.

A news write-up in The Straits Times about the Wellness Programme.

The Wellness Programme is a 2-year pilot project launched by the government at the end of 2007 to promote healthy ageing by encouraging seniors to be physically, mentally and socially active. To date, about 6,000 Singaporean seniors have signed up. The target is to get 12,000 on board. Besides regular free health screenings, there are activities like Nintendo Wii sports sessions, classes on singing, exercise, dancing, drum and percussion. One seniors centre has started a herb and vegetable garden. These are only a few of the many and varied activities enjoyed by the members.

The "Active Neighbours" initiative - article in the Business Times Weekend.

"Active Neighbours” is an initiative between Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) and Council for Third Age (C3A) to help seniors with basic banking transactions like how to use Internet banking facilities and ATM machines. There are 60 vacancies to be filled. Applicants must be aged 45+ and be prepared to put in five hours on the job two days a week. Successful applicants will be paid S$8 an hour. This gives seniors an opportunity to earn some money as well as provide assistance to their peers. POSB has found that older people feel more comfortable being guided by someone their own age than someone much younger.

Senior participants having fun at a dance workshop.

The National Arts Council (NAC) has in place a Community Participation Grant (CPG) whereby a successful grant recipient is eligible for up to S$50,000 worth of funding support a year. The grant is to encourage arts groups, NGOs or individuals to enrich the community through arts projects. One of the 10 groups awarded the grant is Arts Fission which conducts contemporary dance classes in elder care centres through their workshop called ‘The Peony Season’. Once a week for eight weeks, elderly participants follow the movements of three professional dancers. The participants can either stand or be seated, and they go through movements that are inspired by everyday actions. The workshop is therapeutic for the seniors and encourages the more timid ones to open up and make friends.

I shall be blogging from Singapore over the next few days, and sharing my observations on the latest developments for senior citizens here.