The S$1.35-million fund is open to all community care organisations to support them in developing activities for seniors.

 

The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has set up a new S$1.35 million fund to encourage seniors to be socially active and have fun as they age in the community and at home. Established in partnership with The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), the FUN! Fund is open to all community care organisations, to support them in developing innovative and enjoyable activities for seniors.

The FUN! Fund was announced by AIC at the Community Care Leadership Series held in conjunction with Community Care Day. Celebrations for Community Care Day, which takes place on November 1 each year, recognise and honour the contributions of staff in the sector.

A Memorandum of Understanding between AIC and CFS was also inked during the event. It captures a three-year partnership where AIC and CFS will collaborate to develop initiatives and projects across four key pillars – active ageing, environment and community spaces, manpower, and business continuity for the community care sector.

Social isolation among seniors is a key concern as Singapore’s population ages, as it is linked to social disconnection as well as the lack of social, emotional and physical engagements with other people. Studies have also shown that lonely seniors suffer from poorer physical and mental health.

AIC, through the FUN! Fund, encourages the community care sector to design more innovative activities that enable seniors to be connected and maintain their curiosity to seek new experiences. Each successful FUN! Fund proposal can receive funding of up to S$50,000.

Participating in fun activities enhances quality of life and general sense of well-being for seniors. One such activity is the Virtual Playground @ THK Beo Crescent Active Ageing Centre operated by Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities (THKMC). It combines technology, smart solutions and programmes to create engaging experiences for seniors. For instance, virtual games were customised to include familiar images such as Khong Guan biscuits and old Singapore dollar notes to resonate with seniors. THKMC hopes to implement the Virtual Playground in more eldercare centres where seniors can participate and challenge one another, and the winner at each eldercare centre gets to compete at the “National Virtual Games for Seniors”.

To enhance the sector’s capabilities to design fun and impactful programmes for seniors, AIC and CFS will develop and share a playbook to support the scaling of innovative ideas in the community care sector. Learning workshops will be created to support staff in the sector who can learn and also have fun as they implement these programmes. In addition, AIC and CFS will develop and test a FUN! index for seniors that will serve as a benchmark to guide community care organisations in the development of fun programmes that improve the well-being of seniors.

 

(** PHOTO CREDIT: Agency for Integrated Care)