Targeted Social Programmes to Increase Participation Rates of Male Retirees
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Miss Rachel Ong’s proposal to establish a "Silver Club" and explore automatic registration with incentives to improve social participation rates among male retirees. Minister Ong Ye Kung responded that the Age Well SG national programme is expanding Active Ageing Centres (AACs) to provide diverse social activities and volunteering opportunities. He noted that AACs are incorporating specific interests like pool playing and guitar jamming to attract male seniors and must collaborate with community partners to succeed. Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that initiatives like Silver Clubs are welcomed to help retirees stay socially connected and lead active lifestyles. He emphasized that early engagement and community-based activities are critical to ensuring senior well-being and staving off sickness.
Transcript
65 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Health in light of lower social participation rates amongst male retirees (a) whether the set-up of a Silver Club with a range of social activities and programmes targeted at retiring seniors of different staff levels in the formal workforce can be explored; and (b) whether these retiring seniors can be automatically registered for such a Silver Club or another similar club, months prior to retirement for early engagement, with incentives for participation in the first year of retirement.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: My response will also cover the matter raised in the question by Miss Rachel Ong1 who filed a Parliamentary Question which is scheduled for a subsequent Sitting.
Age Well SG is a national programme to encourage seniors to lead active lifestyles and stay socially connected in communities. This is critical to ensure their well-being and stave off sickness.
The Ministry of Health will be expanding and improving Active Ageing Centres (AACs) in communities to achieve this. AACs are to organize a wide range of activities and volunteering opportunities that meet the interests of all seniors. However, AACs can succeed only if it collaborates with all community partners, including grassroots organisations, the Health Promotion Board and various associations and groupings on the ground.
Indeed, our experience has been that it is more difficult to persuade male seniors to participate in community activities and stay active. To increase their social participation rate, AACs organise activities like communal meals, group walks, pool playing and guitar jamming which tend to attract a larger male following. Initiatives like Silver Clubs will be very useful and very welcomed.