"The sharing of best practices and knowledge through the programme enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of the similarities in the healthcare challenges faced by Singapore and Thailand on the care required for an ageing population. This presents opportunities for further collaboration between our countries, institutions and across disciplines, as we look into not just tackling and improving the health of our ageing population through health systems infrastructure, but also in community care and mental health,” said Associate Professor Png Gek Kheng, Chief Nurse (Advanced Practice Nurse), CGH.
“We would like to thank our partners and funder, Temasek Foundation, for allowing us to initiate such a programme,” said Ms Vijaya Rao, Director of the ICO. “There is still much more that needs to be done to ensure that our seniors are taken care of. We’re hoping to increase awareness of the importance of geriatric care so that support can be gathered for the cause."
Asia's role in addressing the needs of the most rapidly ageing population is significant. Other parts of the world might benefit from the fastest ageing population's guidance on aspects such as clinical care, community support, infrastructure, and social services for their own ageing populations.
“As the world and our population demographics change, the challenges we are faced with will evolve,” said Clinical Assistant Professor Koh Lip Hoe, Senior Consultant, Department of Geriatric Medicine and Head, Palliative Medicine, CGH. “Only by continually studying the environment we are in, learning from the community and listening to people we want to serve, can we create and adopt an agile approach to geriatric healthcare that will lead to sustainable outcomes.”