An ex-performer leaves behind the glitz and glamour of the world stage to volunteer with seniors and rediscover her community; a singer channels his inner Elvis Presley and joins a resident singing group at a nursing home. What do they have in common? Not only do they embody the spirit of adventure and love for the community, but they are also all senior citizens above the age of 70.
Enabling the Ageless Senior has long been a part of NTUC Health’s care philosophy, shaping the brand, transforming service delivery and influencing our relationship with clients and seniors. It is no surprise that the heroes we featured in our Be Ageless campaign are the familiar faces we see at our centres. Meet 83-year-old Mdm Chu Siu Lin and 74-year-old Mr Abdul Rahim, seniors at our Active Ageing Hub and nursing home. They have played a large part in encouraging fellow seniors to find joy in learning new things like singing and traditional Chinese dance at NTUC Health’s care centres. With that, they have inspired the direction of the Be Ageless campaign to help other seniors celebrate active ageing.
With a joyous disposition and a smile to be envious of, 93-year-old Mr Peter Lim from our Day Centre for Seniors (Heartbeat@Bedok) is the poster child of the blog post Debunking The Myths of Ageing.
How do we “celebrate ageing”? For some, this is a new concept. That is why the Be Ageless campaign sought to create a positive image of ageing. We challenged the stereotypes of old age through focusing on the many can-dos instead of the don’t-dos, by creating thoughtful articles that debunk the myths of ageing, guides on how to keep mentally and socially active, and even drew upon an inspirational story of a senior finding purpose and friendship at 83 years old.
Through a mini personality quiz, seniors could take a step towards understanding their preferences and potential new hobbies – be it to create a family recipe book for the homely, or to learn sign language for the more adventurous.
NTUC Health Instructor Wan gave our Facebook live stream audiences a heart-thumping, low-impact cardio workout. Follow along and rewatch his exercise sessions here!
As the conceptualisation and launch of the Be Ageless campaign began during the height of COVID-19 Phase 2 Heightened Alert in Singapore, digital was a key way to reach out to seniors and their caregivers. Over Facebook live streams and social media contests, participants were prompted to share stories of their favourite activities with their loved ones. We saw seniors pick up YouTube recipes, dance their way across ballroom floors, provide hairdressing services for fellow seniors, upcycle materials into beautiful lamps and cook up a storm for family and friends.
“My mom and I believe that we should live our life to the fullest and try out all the fun activities that are all the rage now!” said Ms Monisha Bhavya Moolchandani, who was one of the winners of our Be Ageless Instagram contest.
In a digital age where social media enables seniors to explore their world beyond familiar ground, the Be Ageless campaign seeks to make an impact by extending the NTUC Health care philosophy to the wider community and make the Ageless Senior lifestyle within reach to one and all.
Ms Lee Lay Bee, affectionately known as Joey by her peers, is a member of our Active Ageing Hub in Bukit Batok West. Over Facebook Livestream on 15 July, she showed our audiences the art of making gift boxes from Chinese New Year red packets. Two lucky participants also received an art jamming kit to further explore their artistic creativity. Rewatch the live stream here.
Mdm Teo Gek Kee from our Senior Activity Centre (Taman Jurong) whipped up a mouth-watering curry chicken over Facebook live stream in under an hour! During the session, Mdm Teo encouraged the elderly, especially those who are introverted, to ditch the solitude of staying at home alone and join the community of fellow seniors at the Senior Activity Centre.
Mdm Teo’s curry chicken was a hit, with many viewers requesting for the recipe even before the live stream had ended. Re-watch the 29 July Be Ageless live stream with Mdm Teo here.
As we share the Ageless Senior concept with the wider audience, we also look back at how NTUC Health continues to embody this philosophy across our care services – volunteers from the Active Ageing Hubs teach music and craft at our Day Centres for Seniors, the Resident Executive Committee at our nursing home runs Bingo games and Chair-robics exercises for fellow residents, and seniors lead qi gong classes at our Senior Activity Centres. These are just some of the many ways NTUC Health provides the space for seniors to receive quality care and allow them to connect with their community. Moving forward, the ideas and lessons learnt through the Be Ageless campaign can help to inform the way we interact with our clients in our daily work, and strengthen programmes that allow them to continue making independent decisions throughout the ageing process.
Senior couple Mr Ngian Mook Koin and Mdm Soh Lai Tee leading qi gong classes at Senior Activity Centre (Marsiling) before Phase 2 Heightened Alert
“I was very happy to get to know Mdm Chu, and I was encouraged by her outlook on life,” said Ms Belva Loke, Intern at Corporate Communications and Branding, who recounted the afternoon she met Mdm Chu Siu Lin for an interview that would shape the direction of the campaign. “By bringing the Ageless Senior concept out of the abstract, we can help many more seniors at NTUC Health find their own personal story of joy, community and self-discovery,” she said.
Be a volunteer
Join our vibrant community of volunteers at our Senior Activity Centres and Active Ageing Hubs by calling 6590 4300.
