SG60: ‘Age Well Neighbourhoods’ to support seniors ageing at home

It will first test the model in Toa Payoh.

Singapore will launch “Age Well Neighbourhoods” to support seniors who prefer to age at home, starting in Toa Payoh.

The new programme aims to bring essential services and activities into neighbourhoods so seniors can remain in familiar surroundings, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the National Day Rally on 17 August.

“Many seniors do not want to move out. They have stayed in their homes for many years,” he said. “They are used to their neighbours and familiar with their current environment. They prefer to age where they are.”

Nearly one in four residents in the town is aged 65 and above, making it one of Singapore’s oldest and most senior-populated estates.

The pilot in Toa Payoh will adapt key features from Community Care Apartments (CCAs), which combine housing with care services, but apply them across existing estates.

Wong noted that whilst CCAs are popular, they “cannot be the main solution” given land constraints and the preference among seniors to remain in their current homes.

Plans for Age Well Neighbourhoods include building more Active Ageing Centres (AACs) within walking distance for seniors, expanding home-based services such as health checks, meal deliveries and housekeeping, and bringing healthcare closer to homes through community-based health posts and regular visits by nurses.

Wong said these centres will also offer varied activities, from exercise programmes to carpentry workshops, so seniors can stay engaged and connected. “We want these centres to be places where seniors can meet regularly, stay connected and forge close friendships,” he said.

The government will first test the model in Toa Payoh and one or two other towns with large senior populations before expanding it more broadly.

“We will build a Singapore where every senior – no matter where they stay – can age with dignity, purpose and joy. Not in isolation, never alone, but always together as one Singapore family,” Wong said.

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