Budget 2023 debate: Henry Kwek on enabling seniors to age-in-place with dignity

Singapore has taken many steps in the past decade to prepare for ageing, by increasing healthcare capacity, finetuning financing frameworks and enhancing befriending services, said MP Henry Kwek. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 23), he noted that Healthier SG will help seniors stay healthy and happy for longer. But Singapore must also act swiftly to create infrastructure and care services that allow seniors to age-in-place with dignity, he said. He urged the Government to pilot and scale ideas, while also supporting caregivers. Singapore must find a way to embed genuine care in its system, even as it rolls out more complex solutions, he said. To do this, the Government should ramp up care and supporting services in the estates, review transportation options within HDB estates and private neighbourhoods to support seniors and healthcare professionals, adopt IT aggressively to provide better care for seniors, and empower seniors to tap into their own assets and afford services to age-in-place.