Masterplan for ageing soon

Masterplan for ageing soon

Singapore is set to put together a comprehensive plan to enable people to live meaningfully as they age.

It will focus on opportunities to learn new things and helping people remain active, "their days filled with excitement", Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in Parliament yesterday.

The ageing masterplan will also cover employment, volunteerism, urban infrastructure, health care, retirement adequacy and research into ageing.

Mr Gan said a series of public consultations on ageing would start soon.

"Let us now change the conversation about ageing - from worrying about the challenges that come from ageing to celebrating longevity," he said.

Outlining some examples of the way forward, he said it would include people having longer years of productive lives and how "the workplace can be made more welcoming and empowering for our seniors to put their experience and talents to good use".

The masterplan will also provide better support for multi-generation families in terms of housing and having care services in estates so seniors can age at home.

While 5,000 more nursing home beds will be added by 2020, home care will also get a big push.

"We have rolled out a set of quality guidelines for nursing homes and we are in the midst of developing guidelines for home care," Mr Gan said.

He also spoke about the MediShield Life scheme, which is expected to be implemented at the end of next year.

The committee headed by Mr Bobby Chin is finalising its recommendations and will share more details next month, Mr Gan said.


This article was first published on May 28, 2014.
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