AGEING ASIA INVESTMENT FORUM AAIF2010

Date: 5-6 April, 2010

Venue: Hotel Pan Pacific, Singapore

PRIME magazine readers can avail a 15% discount on registration prices.

For more information visit: www.ageingasiainvest.com

Find out what your future retirement home could look like. If you'd like to age in place comfortably, with age friendly private home facilities, attend AAIF 2010 to learn about the various models of integrated retirement living and aged care developments from the Netherlands, US, Australia, New Zealand, India and more.

Register NOW to save.


CO-OPERATIVE FOR SINGAPORE'S ELDERLY TO BE LAUNCHED SOON 

A co-operative aimed at the needs of the elderly in Singapore could be launched soon, to engage them in ad-hoc jobs while addressing their social concerns at the same time.

And there should be more of such co-ops, business societies aimed at benefiting its members, as co-ops have helped to contribute to Singapore’s economic and social needs, said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan at the Singapore National Co-operative Federation’s (SNCF) annual co-op leaders’ conference yesterday.

Catering to the elderly is a "potential area of growth" for co-ops, and as one of the fastest-ageing populations in Asia, Singapore has the challenge of developing the right policies to meet the needs of this group. "Specific issues of concern for the elderly include financial security, employment, living arrangements and health care," said Dr Balakrishnan. "Co-ops could provide tremendous value-add by providing services that meet (elderly folks’) needs."

The Silver Co-op - to be launched by Central Singapore, North East and South East Community Development Councils - will hire the elderly for ad-hoc jobs in light manufacturing or in the assembly of products outsourced by commercial companies.

Two other co-ops founded by CDCs with strong social missions were launched last year, with the help of the Central Co-Operative Fund administered by SNCF.


HOSPITAL AT HOME

If you were too tired to cook or walk to the nearest food court, you called the home delivery person. Now, if you are too unwell to go to the clinic - just call MW Medical. Started in 2002 by Dr Madeleine Chew with the initial intention of providing mobile medical care to the ageing population in Singapore, MW Medical has extended its services to cater not only to the aged, but also to tourists, busy professionals and the general public.

MW Medical is the first Ministry of Health licensed clinic that specializes in home care and is accredited under the Central Provident Fund and Ministry of Health guidelines for the ‘Chronic Disease Management Programme’. It provides 24-Hour island wide house call services.

Equipped with specialized medical devices, MW Medical’s experienced and caring medical professionals provide a one-stop medical care solution to patients in the comfort of their homes, hotel rooms and even offices. MW Medical strives to provide a complete “hospital at home” medical care through the following services:
- Physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy services
- Health screening services
- Physical examinations, blood tests, travel vaccinations, X-rays, mammograms etc.
- Medical house calls 24/7 - services range from emergencies to chronic medical care.

Doctors are accompanied with a paramedical staff and are equipped with medical devices to carry out diagnosis and treatment anywhere, anytime and in one visit. Home medical treatment offer both privacy and convenience; busy executives or patients with disabilities, chronic diseases and the elderly will be able to enjoy the convenience of home treatment. It also enables doctors to provide better medical care by understanding the patient’s home surroundings, interacting with family members and providing advice on home modification if necessary.

For more details call MW Medical hotline: 62500625 or visit www.mwmedical.com.sg


TSAO FOUNDATION LAUNCHES A FULLY INTEGRATED SERVICE MODEL FOR THE ELDERLY IN SINGAPORE

The Tsao Foundation recently launched the Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing (HMCSA). The Centre offers a one-stop, comprehensive and integrated service model that aims to promote and support a self-care driven model of active ageing over the life course starting from 40+.

Based in Tiong Bahru, the centre is the culmination of the Foundation’s 17 years of experience in providing medical, homecare, social, health promotion, community participation, care management, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), financial literacy, professional training and educational courses, to serve the needs of the elderly in Singapore. The Centre also strengthens its alignment with the World Health Organization’s Three Pillars of Active Ageing, by expanding and improving its programmes in Healthcare, Financial Security and Social Participation.


LIFELONG LEARNING

Two hundred and thirty three senior citizens graduated earned a Certificate in Lifelong Learning from YAH! (Young at heart) Community College in late October. The oldest among this latest cohort of graduates was 87-year-old Eter Foo. The students had undergone 100 hours of experiential learning through group sharing, projects and lectures, covering a broad range of topics including interpersonal relationships, lifeskills and the use of Han Yu Pin Yin. The guest-of-honour for the programme was Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, together with special guests Minister Lim Boon Heng and Mayor Matthias Yeo. A number of the graduates have enrolled in the college’s Higher Certificate Programme to pursue another year of learning in the areas of info-communication technology, TCM, conversational English or counselling and community work. Said Senior Minister Goh in his speech during the event, " It is important for those who are going into their seventh decade to change their perception of ageing. They should not see themselves as getting old and become less active and useful. They should see this as the start of a new and different chapter in their lives – a chapter which they should plan for, cherish and enjoy to the fullest extent." He added, "This is my own philosophy anyway – growing old graciously and actively. I always look forward to spending time with my grandchildren. I have six of them – all girls and so lovely. I play tennis and golf. I continue to take Chinese lessons." For more information on the college, call 6445 0300 or www.yah.org.sg.

SAGE FUNDRAISING
The Singapore Action Group of Elders (SAGE) has raised more than $10,000 from the sale of 40 copie of the souvenir publication titled "Hong Kong Yesterday" from the sponsors and supporters of this project. Complimentary copies were presented to President S R Nathan, Ong Keng Yong (secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Dr Lee Boon Yang (Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts), Dr N Varaprasad (chief executive of the National Library Board) and NLB, in appreciation of their support for SAGE. The book, which contains a compilation of black-and-white photographs by the world recognised photographer Ho Fan, shows a tapestry of lives of ordinary Hong Kong people in the 1950s to 1960s. It has received strong support from both Asians and Westerners, and has gone into its second reprint. The book that was being sold also had Ho’s autograph on it. This initiative was made possible by Assoc Prof Lui Hah Wah Elena, who is the patron of SAGE.


FIRST INTEGRATED CENTRE FOR LIFESTYLE-RELATED CONDITIONS

The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has launched its Lifestyle
Improvement & Gitness Enhancement or LIFE Centre in February 2008 to
empower patients to manage their conditions and maintain a healthy
lifestyle. The guest-of-honour was Minister of Health Khaw Boon Wan. The
Centre is the first hospital-based centre in Singapore that integrates
multi-disciplinary treatments for lifestyle-related health conditions, in
particular patients with eating disorders and obesity.

The Centre is managed by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, dieticians,
physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and medical
social workers, who are trained to inculcate healthy lifestyle practices
and change harmful behavioural patterns all under one roof. It focuses on
mainly three broad programmes - obesity management, lifestyle
modifications and eating disorders. Closely supervised by the Centre's
healthcare professionals, the comprehensive range of treatment includes
specialist's consultations, exercise sessions, fitness assessment, dietary
considerations, behaviour modification workshops and rehabilitation
services, depending on the conditions. Group therapy sessions or peer
support groups for patients and caregivers are also built in. Besides
private consultation rooms, the LIFE Centre also runs a fully equipped gym
staffed by physiotherapists and sports trainers, and a fully functional
kitchen where patients can learn the basics of healthy cooking from the
Centre's chef and dietitians. There will also be regular public lectures
and workshops on the various aspects of healthy living. For appointments
or programme details at the Centre, contact 6326 6697 or e-mail
sgh.lifecentre@sgh.com.sg. 


PACIFIC HEALTHCARE'S FOURTH INTEGRATED SPECIALIST CENTRE

Pacific Healthcare officially opened its fourth integrated specialist
centre in January 2008. Occupying the entire 7th level of Paragon's
Shopping Podium in Orchard Road, the new centre is a 8,000 sq ft modern
healthcare facility offering a wide range of medical, dental and
diagnostic services. These complement Pacific's existing centres on the
12th, 19th and 20th levels of Paragon. The key thrust of the centre is
preventive medicine with the latest diagnostic equipment including a
3-Tesla magnetic resonance scanner (3T MRI) and a 64-slice computed
tomography scanner. The high-resolution 3T MRI comes in useful in
visualising the brain, breast and liver, while the CT is suitable for
non-invasive diagnosis of heart disease. The Centre also houses
specialists in the fields of obstetrics and gynaecology, implant and
cosmetic dentistry, and ENT (ear, nose and throat surgery). There is also
a health screening and family medicine centre, as well as an allergy
clinic and thyroid surgery centre.