PCF to open new eldercare centres in Jurong
The PAP Community Foundation (PCF), better known for being the largest pre-school operator in Singapore, will open two new eldercare facilities in Jurong and add to its capacity in Simei, to meet the rising demand for senior care services in an ageing population.
The expansion into Jurong by the third quarter of 2025 will see the PCF open an active ageing centre in Jurong West, within the boundaries of the West Coast GRC, and a senior care centre in Jurong East, within the Yuhua single-member constituency, said Mr Andy Seet, senior director of PCF’s senior care division, on the sidelines of the PCF Family Day 2024 on Oct 6.
Active ageing centres serve as drop-in recreational centres aimed at promoting active engagement, social interaction and community involvement, and the facility in Jurong West will cater to about 3,000 to 4,000 senior citizens.
Senior care centres focus on delivering physical or medical care support to frail seniors at more convenient locations, and the one in Jurong East will serve up to 100 seniors in need of daycare or rehabilitation services.
In Simei, the PCF will set up another senior care centre in 2025 next to its current one at Block 120 Simei Street 1, which is located in East Coast GRC, said Mr Seet.
Demand at the existing centre has been consistently high, and there are sometimes up to 15 people on the waiting list for one of the 55 slots for dementia and maintenance daycare services and 30 slots for active rehabilitation services, Mr Seet added.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, speaking at the event held at Downtown East, reiterated the Government’s commitment to creating a more family-friendly environment in Singapore.
One aspect of this is to provide better care for seniors, he added, noting that with a rapidly ageing population and longer life expectancy, more people will end up in the sandwiched group having to look after their elderly parents and young children at the same time.
The Government’s National Population and Talent Division has projected that around one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or above by 2030, up from one in 10 in 2010.
PM Wong said it is critical not to just have a long life, but also to keep healthy and to age well.
To this end, the Government has rolled out nationwide programmes such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG to help people stay active and keep healthy as they grow old, he added.
But government policies alone are not enough, and that is where the work of charities and non-profit organisations, such as the PCF, can play a critical role, he said.
PM Wong, who is also deputy secretary-general of the People’s Action Party (PAP), said this was the motivation behind the PCF stepping up to meet Singaporeans’ needs in the eldercare space.
He added that PCF, the charitable arm of the PAP, plans to open more eldercare centres in the future. It now runs nine senior care centres and four active ageing centres under its eldercare arm, PCF Sparkle Care.
“When I started out in life, I had access to PCF services. I hope later in life, when I get older, I also will have access to PCF services near my home. Then PCF can take care of Singaporeans from start to finish,” said PM Wong, who attended a PAP kindergarten in Marine Parade in the 1970s.
On the foundation’s plans, Mr Seet told The Straits Times that PCF has worked with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care to project where eldercare services will be in greater demand so as to step in where needs are unmet.
While these projections are still being worked out, he noted that there has been interest in having more eldercare services in areas such as Punggol, Marine Parade and Bedok.
He said the foundation’s goal is to open three or four eldercare centres each year in 2026 and 2027. He did not say where they would be located.
In the 2023 Action Plan for Successful Ageing, MOH said the goal was to have 220 eldercare centres by 2025, which will cover an estimated 80 per cent of the total senior population. There were 60 such centres in 2021, and the number has grown to 208 as at April 2024.
On Oct 6, PCF also announced its partnerships with social service agencies Fei Yue Community Services and Allkin Singapore in sub-regions where it is operating.
For example, in Yew Tee and Limbang, PCF Sparkle Care and Fei Yue are working together to conduct care assessments, develop care plans and coordinate care for seniors with other providers in the community.
At the Oct 6 event, PM Wong said that as a charitable foundation, PCF also strives to do its part to support the wider community, noting that a fund-raising event is held in conjunction with the foundation’s family day each year.
He noted that the 2024 fund raising led by South West District – under Mayor Low Yen Ling, who is also Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry – raised more than $600,000 for charities.
“Ultimately, this spirit of fellowship is what is important in Singapore. We need this spirit of partnership to take Singapore forward,” he said.
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