Annual Number of Seniors Aged 60 and Above who Passed Away Alone at Home in Past Five Years and Expected Trend
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the annual number of seniors passing away alone at home and how Mr Sitoh Yih Pin's concerns about this trend are being addressed. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung clarified that such specific data is not tracked, though approximately 88,000 seniors lived alone in 2020. To mitigate social isolation, the Ministry has deployed the Eldercare Centre service model since May 2021 to provide befriending, regular home visits, and care services. Additionally, the Silver Generation Office utilizes ambassadors for targeted outreach, referring seniors in need to Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres. These collective efforts aim to build communities of care so that vulnerable seniors remain visible and well-supported as they age.
Transcript
45 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Health (a) in the past five years, what is the annual number of seniors aged 60 years and above who passed away alone at home; (b) whether the number of such cases is expected to increase in the future; and (c) if so, how does the Ministry intend to address and mitigate this trend.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In 2020, about 10% or 88,000 Singapore residents aged 60 and above lived alone1. We do not track the proportion who passed away alone at home.
The Government works with various stakeholders to ensure that seniors, especially those at risk of social isolation, are adequately supported to age in place. Since May 2021, MOH has been rolling out the Eldercare Centre (EC) service model, which provides seniors’ activity, befriending, care and other services for seniors. Befrienders proactively reach out to seniors who require social support through regular home visits and check-in calls.
To complement the efforts of the ECs, the Silver Generation Office (SGO) reaches out to seniors islandwide. Silver Generation Ambassadors (SGAs) conduct targeted outreach to seniors, including those who live alone or are frail. SGO will also refer seniors in need to Social Service Offices and Family Service Centres for care and support services.
These initiatives keep vulnerable seniors visible and connected within the community and ensure they receive help as needed. Building communities of care is a whole-of-society effort. We need community partners, Government agencies and fellow Singaporeans to work together so that our seniors can age well and leave well.