According to Abdullah (2017), it is crucial for Singaporeans to build trust between our differences to withstand potential shocks in future (para. 9). As Singapore’s population continues to age, there is a need for society to express concerns and build a healthy environment for our seniors to age, especially when Singapore is also one of the world’s fastest ageing societies. Only one in seven Singaporeans today will be aged 65 and above. However, one in four will be aged 65 and above by 2030 (Neo, 2017, para. 26).
With more seniors retiring from the economy, REACH Senior programmes are designed to help the Silver Generation to engage their minds. Some of the services provided include befriending, support services through outreach programmes, and relevant community resources. They also conduct programmes that promote health and wellness, board games to stimulate social interaction, and arts and crafts to enhance spiritual and emotional wellness.
REACH Senior Cafe is currently located within REACH Youth Powerhouse at Blk 417 Bukit Batok West Ave 4 #01-284 Singapore 650417. The cafe was established in August 2017 to engage neighbouring seniors more and empower seniors who are passionate in serving their community. The Senior Cafe currently has up to 40 senior volunteers in charge of the cafe operations every Friday morning. Each time, they will receive between 25 to 40 seniors.
Learning from the manpower management of Pioneer Generation Office, seniors can also be a pool of passionate and committed volunteers for our communities (Neo, 2017, para. 24). As REACH Senior Cafe continues to expand their outreach efforts further within Bukit Batok community, we believe more can be done to empower the existing pool of senior volunteers in REACH to do more in terms of skills upgrading or assist in improving social interaction with others.
References
Abdullah, Z. (2017). Trust needed between different groups to boost Singapore's social cohesion: Maliki. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/trust-needed-between-different-groups-to-boost-singapores-social-cohesion-maliki
Neo, D. (2017). Commentary: Three lessons learned caring for seniors as Singapore's population ages. Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-three-lessons-learned-caring-for-seniors-as-singapore-8899110
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