Fifteen seniors in Queenstown will receive support in safety and monitoring, digital empowerment, health and wellness, caregiving, food security, social connection, intergenerational bonding and end-of-life dignity.

 

The Rotary Club of Singapore is piloting a programme that supports at-risk seniors in eight areas – safety and monitoring, digital empowerment, health and wellness, caregiving, food security, social connection, intergenerational bonding and end-of-life dignity.
Called the “Rotary Club of Singapore Connects Seniors – Queenstown Legacy Project”, the programme’s model draws on Blue Zone ageing-in-place principles, the Japanese concept of ikigai (a sense of daily purpose) and the revival of kampung style neighbour-to-neighbour support. It is designed to complement existing national schemes, bridging community groups, healthcare providers and volunteers. A key feature is having Queenstown residents, some of whom are themselves seniors in need, act as community connectors for the beneficiaries.

Besides the Rotary Club of Singapore, the programme is delivered in partnership with three other community organisations – Cheng Hong Welfare Service Society (CHWSS), Better.sg and Sree Narayana Mission. For a start, the pilot programme will serve 15 seniors in Queenstown, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates and home to a high concentration of seniors living alone in rental flats.

The programme comprises these components:

• Safety and monitoring – The seniors in the programme will be supported by Presence, an app developed by Better.sg, the programme’s technology partner. Presence acts as a passive “proof of life” monitor for vulnerable individuals living alone.By learning a user’s everyday smartphone habits, the application operates quietly in the background without requiring manual daily check-ins or invasive data tracking. If a device remains completely inactive for 12 hours and an automated prompt goes unanswered, Presence immediately alerts a designated trusted contact. This hands-free approach provides a secure and dignified safety net, ensuring that a sudden medical crisis or emergency never goes unnoticed.
• Health and wellness – With the support of CHWSS, the 15 seniors will receive pro-bono medical check-ups from its mobile traditional Chinese medicine clinic, and eye screenings.
• Care and support – Community volunteers will provide light home cleaning services, removal of fall hazards and new bedsheets.
• Food security – Food items will be delivered monthly to the beneficiaries’ homes. Volunteers will learn each senior’s preferred food and deliver food items according to their individual preference, rather than providing standard rations.
• Social connection – Beneficiaries will have the opportunity to socialise via monthly block parties, birthday celebrations, group outings and movie nights. The seniors will also have the opportunity to lead neighbourhood tours sharing their own histories of the Queenstown estate, with training provided by Rotary Club of Singapore.
• Intergenerational cohesion – In a two-way exchange for different generations to interact and learn from each other, the Rotaractors, Rotary Club’s young adult members aged between 18 and 30, will provide monthly visits and teach the beneficiaries how to use their digital devices, including the Presence app. There are also plans for the beneficiaries to record seniors’ reminiscences as a podcast, and tutor youth from low-income households.
• End-of-life dignity – The programme is guided by the principle that no senior should leave the world alone. For beneficiaries without family, funds will be held in trust to ensure dignified memorial services.
• Digital empowerment – Seniors will receive training on scam awareness and digital safety. Using virtual reality (VR) headsets, seniors will experience simulated realistic, high-pressure scenarios, such as receiving calls from “government officials” or a warning that their bank account is frozen. As scammers rely on manufacturing fear, urgency and confusion, VR helps seniors practise pausing and regulating their emotions before reacting. Concepts like AI deepfakes, phishing sites,or malicious links can be difficult to grasp. VR makes these digital threats visual and concrete, teaching seniors which visual cues and red flags to look for. Community volunteers will also impart digital literacy skills.

The programme will run from July 2026 to June 2027, after which the Rotary Club of Singapore will assess if the model can be expanded to other mature estates across Singapore. The Club plans to expand the programme over the next two years.

Rajkumar Perumal Suppiah, president of the Rotary Club of Singapore, said: “This project is about restoring connection, dignity, and purpose to seniors who need support. Ageing well isn’t just about living longer. It’s about living meaningfully, within a caring community. We want every senior to have someone who notices and cares for them, a reason to be needed, and a community to share their life with.”