Speech by President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Caring for Silver Community event

Mr Gan Kim Yong
Minister for Health

Dr Amy Khor
Minister of State for Health
Mayor of South West District

Dr Teo Ho Pin
Mayor of North West District

Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman
Mayor of South East District

Mr Sam Tan
Mayor of Central Singapore District

Advisers to Grassroots Organisations

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Boys and Girls

        First of all, a very good morning to you all.

        I am happy to join you at today’s Caring for the Silver Community event. The focus on seniors is timely. The population of seniors aged above 65 in Singapore will triple to about 900,000 by 2030. An increasing number of seniors are living alone and many of them face the risks of social isolation. 

        Caring for the elderly is a responsibility that we must all share. Most elderly would prefer to be cared for by family members or friends in their own homes if possible. Even as the Government sets aside more funds for the long-term care sector, our families must continue to care for the seniors living with us as long as we have the capability to do so. Our society must also do its part to provide our seniors with the opportunities to live healthy, active and meaningful lives, and to bond and socialize with other members of the community.

        The Community Development Councils (CDCs) have been responding to the needs of seniors living in our communities in a holistic way. The CDCs now have 28 programmes in place to provide assistance to vulnerable seniors and to enable them to live independently with minimal risks to their well-being. These programmes include the North East CDC’s Fall Prevention Programme, which aims to equip 1,000 seniors with the knowledge and equipment to avoid falling accidents at home. Of the current 26 CDC programmes promoting a healthy lifestyle among our seniors, more than half involve community-based interest groups that provide opportunities for our seniors to stay active both physically and socially. I was told that the most popular interest group is Brisk Walking which now has over 105,000 active members. Well done. CDCs also engage more than 3,000 senior volunteers to actively organize activities and programmes for other members of their communities both young and old. Through such volunteering opportunities, seniors who are able and willing can continue to contribute to their communities.

        We can further uplift the lives of our seniors by tapping into the resources and talents of our communities. CDCs are well-placed to do so by leveraging on their strong volunteer networks, and extensive partnerships with government agencies, social service agencies and corporate organisations. For example, the South West CDC’s partnership with ITE College West has provided IT training and installed home safety features for close to 3,000 elderly beneficiaries over more than 10 years. I am therefore encouraged to see the CDCs come together through today’s event to involve the community in caring for our seniors. By involving and partnering with community stakeholders, our CDCs can further enhance and expand the range of services that will be needed for our aging population in years to come. 

        I congratulate all those involved in organizing this event and I wish you all an enjoyable time participating in the activities which the CDCs have organised for you today.

        Thank you.