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YEAR 2016 ISSUE 11

YOUR GUIDE TO COMMUNITY CARE IN SINGAPORE

It’s All

About

Tech!

SPECIAL ISSUE

About the Agency for Integrated Care

The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) seeks to create a vibrant Care Community enabling people to live well and age gracefully. AIC coordinates and facilitates efforts in care integration to achieve the best care outcomes for our clients. We do this by empowering them with health and social care information and arranging for their care when they are discharged from hospitals. We enable stakeholders to raise the quality of care, and also enhance collaboration by working with health and social care providers to increase services to support the ageing population. Our work in the community brings care services and information closer to those in need. For more information, please visit www.aic.sg.

NEXTSTEP is a publication by the Agency for Integrated Care. The views and opinions expressed or implied in

NEXTSTEP do not necessarily reflect those of AIC or its directors or editorial staff. All

information is correct at time of print.

PUBLISHERAgency for Integrated Care

www.aic.sg

CHIEF EDITORAndy Seet

EDITORIAL TEAMCheryl Ong

For all editorialqueries, feedback or to subscribe to the

magazine, please e-mail nextstep@aic.sgMCI (P) 086/02/2016

IN FOCUS

o3 A Trusted Resource Made Better

o5 All You Need In A Click

o6 Care At Your Fingertips

1o Bright Ideas For Age-Old Problems

11 Seniors + Technology = A No-Brainer!

GOTTA HAVE IT

12 Smart Tech For Carers

Contents

p01CONTENTS

Editor’s Note

As we usher in a new year, we have put together a special issue of NextStep that looks forward at how technology can, and has, enhanced seniors’ quality of life.

With this in mind, the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) has improved some of its information touch-points for seniors and their caregivers, to provide easier and greater access to care.

For instance, the Singapore Silver Pages (SPP) recently underwent a major facelift. Find out how visitors can benefit from the enhancements to the one-stop online portal for senior care information (page 3). We also speak to a caregiver who used SSP before its latest revamp, and ask him what he thinks of the new design (page 5).

AIC is proud to introduce the AICare Link app, a new mobile application that allows people to check what senior care subsidies they qualify for. Read more about the app on page 6, and learn how to use it with our step-by-step guide on page 8.

This issue also features several inventions aimed at helping seniors, both real and imaginary (pages 10 and 11)!

Besides making information easier to access, technology can make caregiving easier too. Check

out some useful gadgets that lighten the workload of caregivers, on page 12.

It is natural that some seniors may feel some discomfort towards technology, if they find it unfamiliar and hard to understand at times. This is why AIC is committed to reinforcing its human touch-points as well, alongside its digital innovations.

It may be the digital age, but the human touch is still as important as ever in the care sector.

Andy SeetChief Editor

p02EDITOR’S NOTE

The Singapore Silver Pages has recently undergone a facelift. Find out what’s new in this one-stop resource for seniors and caregivers.

A Trusted Resource Made Better

A new layout, refreshed design and mobile-friendly features greeted visitors to the Singapore Silver Pages (SSP) on 8 November 2015, after the one-stop resource for senior care information underwent an extensive makeover.

Some of the updates include a brighter, cleaner design that is more modern and user-friendly.

There is also a new self-assessment tool to help users find subsidies that they can apply for – a web-based version of the AICare Link mobile application (see page 6).

Information on mental health support and services has also been added so that the website can be a more well-rounded resource for visitors.

Meanwhile, the SSP’s existing features were enhanced too.

New users will find the simple E-care Locator true to its name, while returning visitors who prefer the original E-care Locator will find it

under the “Advanced Search” option.

The Caregiver Training Courses e-Calendar now sports a more attractive design that makes key information more prominent for caregivers looking for courses.

All these changes make it easier for those who need help or information to find what they need. More importantly, this will help them figure out what they should do next.

YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS

These changes came about thanks to feedback from the website’s users.

The Agency for Integrated Care organised a focus group discussion for people to share their thoughts on the SSP. They included caregivers, and those from the community care sector who use the website for their work.

Plenty of valuable insights were shared in the focus group discussions, from the different ways

people navigated the website to the challenges they faced in making sense of the information.

For instance, some said the older website was rich in content, but may deter regular visitors unfamiliar with technical terms.

They also said there was a need for a “simpler” design to the E-care Locator, as first-time users of the site may not know how to use it.

The insights gave a clearer view of what the redesign should be about – to improve user experience so people can find their way around the site with confidence, even if it is their first time visiting.

A VITAL RESOURCE FOR SENIORS AND CAREGIVERS

The SSP has been revamped twice since its launch in February 2011.

Each redesign, including the latest, seeks to reinforce the SSP’s original mission, to arm seniors and caregivers with the information they need so they can make care decisions with confidence.

As information becomes more readily available thanks to the Internet, seniors and caregivers can always turn to the Singapore Silver Pages, their trusted resource for care information.

p03IN FOCUS

ORIGINS OF SINGAPORE SILVER PAGES

A Trusted Resource Made Better

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

WWW.SILVERPAGES.SG

A SIMPLE LAYOUT

SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

A web-based tool that helps you find out what financial help you

can qualify for.

MEGA MENU

A bigger navigation menu that lets you see a summary of the sections and

pages before you click on them.

QUICK ACCESS

Get quick access to the site’s most popular features.

ENHANCED E-CARE LOCATOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Simpler search version now available, with the original E-care Locator under

“Advanced Search”.

2011 2013 TODAY

New information on mental health support and services

in the community.

p04IN FOCUS

NextStep talks to a caregiver who used SSP before its latest revamp, to ask him what he thinks of the new design.

All You Need In A Click

The Internet is a valuable resource for Mr Anbalahan S/O Sundaraj, a freelance private investigator who uses it to help him in his investigations.

So when the 57-year-old had questions about his mother’s Pioneer Generation (PG) card earlier in 2015, he did a Google search and chanced upon the Singapore Silver Pages.

DISCERNING BUT NOT “SAVVY”

“My mother didn’t receive her PG card, so I wanted to find out what happened,” he shares.

He used the older SSP’s Ask An Expert query feature to find out if his 73-year-old mother was registered as a Pioneer.

Still, the discerning private eye is quick to insist that he does not consider himself savvy in technology.

“For me, what matters most is content which should be easy to view and understand,” he says.

TO TRUST OR NOT TO TRUST?

Mr Raj often uses the Internet to better understand his mother’s medical conditions and her dietary needs.

She has to take medication for high blood pressure, diabetes and a thyroid condition.

“I’ll find out what her conditions are about and how they can be controlled. For instance, I search for information

on what food she should eat and so on,” he reveals.

Mr Raj is careful about believing the information he finds online. “You have to be especially careful about information regarding healthcare. Different sources can say different things, so you have to weigh them and see how accurate or reliable they are.”

“I know SSP is a trusted and reliable source of information for all my care needs,” he adds.

PLEASED WITH THE NEW DESIGN

After trying out the revamped SSP for the first time, Mr Raj was delighted with how simple it is to navigate the site.

“It should be simple enough for any ordinary person to use it. More importantly, all the information is there and clearly organised. With this improved design, you can find what you need with a simple click,” he says.

THE FUTURE OF CAREGIVING

Mr Raj believes caregiving will look very different in the future, as more digitally savvy people today reach their golden years.

“During my parents’ generation and even my generation, we did not have the same access to education and technology that the younger generation is able to enjoy now. The younger generation will grow up to become seniors who are skilled at using technology, so I believe things would change,” he says.

p05IN FOCUS

Care At Your FingertipsINTRODUCING… THE AICARE LINK APP

The AICare Link app is a new mobile application that allows people to check what senior care subsidies they qualify for. Available free for iOS and Android mobile users, this app is the solution for grassroots leaders, care professionals and caregivers to get information on financial assistance.

Read on to find out more.

p06IN FOCUS

Care At Your Fingertips

THE AICARE LINK APP IN ACTION

Six questions – that’s all it takes for the AICare Link app to do a basic assessment of what financial help a person can qualify for, and to recommend a list of subsidies and grants.

And to make sure this mobile app worked as advertised, it was tested before its launch in the real world by the people it aims to help.

Grassroots leaders and volunteers from Teck Ghee, in Ang Mo Kio, put the AICare Link app through its paces in October 2015. They were the first members of the public to try the app with their residents at a community event.

They installed the app on their mobile phones on the spot, and were briefed on the features and uses of the app by staff from the Agency for Integrated Care. In no time at all, they were using the app with their elderly residents.

Veteran grassroots leader Madam Noelene De Foe (BBM) was impressed with the ease of use.

“AIC has various schemes that residents can tap on depending on their needs, but it’s not easy for all my grassroots volunteers to remember the various schemes,” shares Madam Noelene, who is chairman of the Teck Ghee Active Ageing Committee.

“I’m glad that AIC has developed an app where all the latest senior care schemes are now available at our fingertips. You just need to key in a few details about your resident and the suitable schemes will appear. The app makes it much easier for our grassroots volunteers to advise residents accordingly as to what help is available to them,” she adds.

The AICare Link app was officially launched at Teck Ghee’s annual Active Ageing Night on 7 November 2015, which was graced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

TECK GHEE’S ACTIVE AGEING NIGHT 2015 IN PICTURES

Seniors pick up goodie bags full of items contributed by AIC, Teck Ghee’s grassroots organisation, and other supporters of the event.

A ventriloquist entertains the crowd while explaining some of AIC’s schemes and services.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong distributes Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) aids, such as walking sticks and wheelchairs, to residents.

p07IN FOCUS

STEP 3

GET YOUR RESULTS

STEP 6 STEP 5

CLICK ON “FIND SCHEME” TO SEE YOUR RESULTS. Note: The app recommends schemes you may qualify for based on your answers. But you will still need to be properly and formally assessed to find out if you indeed qualify.

STEP 2Scroll through the numbers to key in the date, month and year.

Care At Your FingertipsA STEP-BY-STEP GUIDEUsing the AICare Link app is as easy as answering six simple questions!

Select the applicable option.

More than one option can be selected. These activities are also called Activities of Daily Living, which are used to find out how much care is needed by the senior.

This means all related family members (related by blood, marriage or legal adoption) living in the same address with the care recipient, as stated in their NRICs.

For example, if Mr Tan is living with his wife and two children at home, the number of family members living at the same address is four.

If there are family members working, you will be prompted to key in the annual income of these working family members.

If no one in the family is working, you will need to select the senior’s Annual Value of Residence (AVR). This is the amount of money a person can earn from renting out their home in one year. As a guide, HDB flats are generally in the “under $13,000” range.

STEP 4

Key in the person’s name. For example, “John Tan”.

STEP 1

p08IN FOCUSIN FOCUS

You can find AICare Link on Google Play Store or

Apple’s App Store.

For more information about

the app, visit www.silverpages.sg/

aicarelinkapp

Care At Your Fingertips

SERVING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

You don’t have to be a tech whiz to use AICare Link app. Find out what two grassroots leaders think of the app after they were given a quick introduction to its features.

When Madam Soh Lee Choo, 66, and Mr Ang Hock Sang, 70, first started out as grassroots volunteers, they learnt everything they needed to know about the various financial assistance schemes on the “job”.

THE CHALLENGE OF STAYING UP-TO-DATE

“I remember carrying around many folders that contained different pamphlets related to the schemes when I conducted house-to-house visits,” says Madam Soh, who is chairman of the Teck Ghee Zone L Residents’ Committee (RC), recalling her early years in the grassroots.

Says Mr Ang, a member of the Teck Ghee Zone “E” RC: “One of the challenges we face is keeping up-to-date with changes to the existing schemes or the introduction of new ones. We try our best to memorise them so that we can help out as many residents as we can.”

A LOAD OFF THEIR BACKS

Mdm Soh has been a grassroots volunteer for 10 years.

Mr Ang has been serving for seven years.

Naturally, the details of financial schemes now come easily to them. But after trying out the AICare Link app, they say the app can be very useful for grassroots volunteers.

It helps that AICare Link app is intuitive to use too, since the questions in the app are similar to what grassroots volunteers would ask to assess residents .

“With this app, you can obtain information from one source. I can get all the information I need immediately, and at a simple touch of my phone,” says Madam Soh.

HELPING RESIDENTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE

Madam Soh believes the AICare Link app can help grassroots volunteers like her do their job better. They do

not need to worry about whether or not they have missed out certain details about the schemes, or spend too much time referring to different sources to get the information they need.

She says: “We can really focus on getting our residents the help they need as quickly as possible, and this app will help us with that.”

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE APP

p09IN FOCUS

What would you do if you were asked to invent a tool for an elderly man who lives alone and cannot move his hands easily because of arthritis?

Ninety children were asked to use their imagination and creativity to tackle problems like this recently during their September school holidays at the SG50 Inventions Camp by Kids.

INVENTIONS BY KIDS, FOR PIONEERS Organised by social enterprise start-up Discovering Without Borders, the camp challenged children to use technology and their imagination to address problems faced by elderly Singaporeans, such as mobility and mental health issues.

The idea for the camp’s theme came about because of Singapore’s

SG50 celebrations, says Discovering Without Borders founder Yen Siow.

“I wanted to honour our Pioneer Generation by encouraging the younger generation to invent products that would help our Pioneers live out their golden years in a healthy and meaningful way,” she says.

During the three-day camp, the children were guided by mentors from the industry, such as Dr Alvin Chan of Neeuro, a tech start-up, as well as Mr Carl Sciglitano of the non-profit Technology Without Borders.

BOUNDLESS CREATIVITY

The children came up with inventions that Ms Siow described as “out of this world”.

For the elderly man with arthritis, Kayle Kee, eight, and Joshua Kee, nine, invented a robot that could help him with daily tasks which

require fine motor skills, such as putting on clothes, cooking and writing.

Says Ms Siow: “(The inventions) showed a level of depth about what our Pioneer Generation are going through from a child’s point of view. Of course, these inventions were also playful and fun - something only a child’s active imagination can achieve!”

GETTING THE YOUNG INVOLVED

Ms Siow plans to keep engaging youngsters to build and create inventions that address issues in Singapore.

“I want to encourage more opportunities that will allow our Pioneers and younger generation to bond more, and will look at ways for these two groups to do something purposeful and meaningful together,” she says.

For more information about Discovering Without Borders, visit http://www.d-w-b.org/.

Bright Ideas For Age-Old Problems

Find out how an inventor’s camp taught young children to understand seniors better, by asking them to solve some problems seniors face with the help of technology.

Photo credit: Yen Siow

p10IN FOCUS

Two new products aim to address issues of cognitive impairment, especially among the elderly.

Seniors + Technology = A No-Brainer!

Matters of the brain hit close to home for Dr Alvin Chan, whose uncle has dementia. “I can see how it affects his family and it’s pretty heartbreaking to see that he doesn’t recognise me whenever I visit,” he shares.

A DESIRE TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH

His company Neeuro was therefore born out of the desire to help people improve their mental well-being by training their minds to stay active and healthy.

“Our mission is to develop innovative products that empower people to live happier, healthier and more productively through the use of neurotechnology and gamification,” he says.

Neeuro has two products under its belt so far.

The first is Memorie, an application that uses games involving mahjong tiles, poker cards, and other scenarios to train attention, memory and even decision-making skills.

The other is the Senzeband, which is designed to work with Memorie. The headgear picks up your brain signals as you play the app’s games, and can sense your mental state and how well your brain is working.

TRIED AND TESTED WITH SENIORS

Both products have not hit the shelves yet, but Neeuro has tested the app with a group of seniors in a Singapore hospital, and the response has been positive.

“The seniors had fun playing with the app. Some even mentioned that they wanted to download it for themselves to play at home!” Dr Chan shares.

“Originally, we were concerned if they knew how to use the touchscreen technology that the app requires. But we were quickly proven wrong, as the whole experience was very smooth and intuitive for them,” he adds.

Dr Chan hopes to collaborate with organisations that provide care or

activities for seniors. “The aim is to reach out to as many seniors who would benefit from our solution as possible,” he says.

WILLINGNESS TO TRY

Dr Chan is optimistic about the state of senior care technology in Singapore.

“I think we are moving ahead in the right direction. The care sector can certainly do more, by taking on new technologies that may not been proven yet,” he says.

“However, in order to push the technology ahead, one must take the risk of trying it out. There are certainly different technologies out there that can help seniors, and it’s about the wiliness to try.”

For more information about Neeuro, visit http://www.neeuro.com

p11IN FOCUS

Robot caregivers are not a common feature in homes … yet, but technology has made some everyday care tasks much easier. Here are some gadgets to consider.

Smart Tech For Carers

SOS PHONE 2 http://mosl.com.sg

This emergency phone comes with a wearable “pendant”. The pendant allows the senior wearing it to make emergency calls even if they are not near the phone, such as if they have injured themselves or are in danger. It also has a sensor that can tell when the senior has fallen. When this happens, the phone will send out an emergency call to preset numbers (such as the caregiver’s phone).

ALARM PILL BOX http://mosl.com.sg

Seniors with health issues may have quite a number of pills to take over the day. Caregivers must keep track of all the medications to make sure their loved ones don’t miss a dose, or take too many pills. This reminder comes in handy as alarms can be set to remind the senior to take their pills at the right time.

p12GOTTA HAVE IT

Smart Tech For Carers

VIDEO MONITORINGwww.homesafe.com.sg

Caregivers who want to know how their loved ones are doing at home while they are at work may consider installing a closed-circuit television system in their home. Such real-time monitoring is a good way for caregivers to get some peace of mind while they are out. But do make sure your loved one has given you permission to install the cameras first.

HOME MOVEMENT MONITORING SYSTEM www.myluv1.com

Not all families are comfortable with video surveillance at home, so this is where a system of smart sensors, like Nextan’s LUV1 Elderly Care System can be very helpful. The sensors can be placed around the home to pick up a senior’s movement, and they can raise an alert if they notice something is wrong – such as if the senior has fallen in the bathroom and cannot get up.

FALL PREVENTION ALARMShttp://omg-solutions.com

These weight sensors can be placed on a bed or chair used by a senior with mobility issues. When the senior tries to get up, the sensors will notify a caregiver through an alarm sound or an emergency light. This protects them from falling if they try to move about on their own.

p13GOTTA HAVE IT

Mobile E-careLocator (MEL)

One app to help you searchfor community care service providers at your convenience

With MEL, you can now search forand have instant access to community care service providers in Singapore.

For more information about theMobile E-care Locator,

SEARCH FOR “MOBILE E-CARE LOCATOR”

For more information on long-term care and caregiving, please visit www.silverpages.sg

Singapore Silver Line: 1800-650-6060Email: nextstep@aic.sg

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