Dakota-Cassia Adventures

03/12/2023

“Singaporeans still think that the best support comes from the family,” Prof Feng said. “Even though they have no friends, they think that as long as they have children taking care of them, they are happy. This does not only happen here but also in Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and even India.”

But this is not always true. Family members may be too busy with their own lives and ignore seniors at home; they also tend to be over-protective, stifling the elderly person with their love and concern.

“There was this older woman who declined to go out simply because she was so afraid of falling and becoming a burden to her son,” Prof Koh said. “There was another who was happy to see our researchers, but was afraid that her daughter-in-law would see her talking to strangers... a case of a family member being over-protective in case the elderly got cheated.”

Those who live with family may also have high expectations of support from household members, and develop feelings of social disconnection when this expectation is not met, Prof Feng added.

The study, therefore, found that older adults who are socially isolated and in poor health are more likely to be what Prof Koh referred to as “family restricted”. These seniors face barriers to access to non-family support providers, such as befriending activities with extended members of the community that could fill the gaps and keep them connected to society.

People with lower education, depression and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living that hinder a person’s ability to live independently in the community are far more likely to experience social disconnection, even if they do not live alone.

The study found that those without formal education are almost three times as likely to be lonely compared with those with secondary education.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-the-lonely-people-tackling-social-isolation-among-older-singaporeans?fbclid=IwAR0wYkHVZKXC1BezpTOgasJNTUYEUsE8cO3MqYdltIA_0t0n42Bq0eamaIc

With Singapore set to attain “super-aged” status in 2026, loneliness will become a real threat. Read more at straitstimes.com.

01/12/2023

"First, rely on different ways to support healthcare. Markets have a role, governments have a role, people have a role. Where it is basic and essential, we rely on government subsidy. Where it is advanced, occasional and alternatives are available, we rely more on insurance, including market-based insurance products, to risk-pool. For the low income and vulnerable, there should be further safety nets including philanthropy. That is why we also have MediFund, making it S+3M.

Second, create a clear gradient of market signals. Acute care is most expensive and susceptible to abuse and wastage, so always maintain an element of personal responsibility. Step-down and rehabilitative care eases the load for acute hospitals and should enjoy stronger support. Most terminally ill patients would wish to pass on at home in familiar surroundings in the presence of their loved ones, and I am glad that with the support of our palliative care providers, home hospice in Singapore is provided free to these patients.

Third, do not make an enemy of medical technological advances. Technological advances such as digital health are helping people practise preventive and holistic care in an easy, convenient and fun way.

It has its uses but be mindful that in healthcare, there are also new drugs and treatments that can be beneficial to some patients with certain diseases, but at a very high price. Technological advancements in healthcare are quite different from other sectors. New drugs and treatment can be beneficial to some patients but at a very high price. Subsidising these treatments carries a significant opportunity cost because the money can be spent elsewhere – in education, public transport, defence, etc.

It is in human nature to make advances. We need to embrace scientific advancements in healthcare, but we must always maintain clinical discipline to use technology the right way, and a strong system to evaluate cost effectiveness of drugs, treatments and procedures. In many instances, existing care options are actually good enough. That is why Singapore has now set up such a robust system of Health Technology Assessment.

Fourth, have time on our side. This means being prepared to invest in holistic and preventive care and build up population health for the long term. The interventions to shape better lifestyles are always simple and much cheaper than running hospitals.

Healthcare runs the length and breadth of economics. Every economic phenomenon, distortion and challenge that has been studied can probably be found in healthcare.

A good healthcare system is fundamentally about the skills and passion of doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, and a culture of good health amongst the population. These are things that cannot be measured through our GDP, through dollars and cents, and which money cannot buy. For everything else, there is healthcare economics."

Find speeches, press releases, forum replies and parliamentary Q&A.

06/05/2023

Plans have been made at the macro level, but the magic, if you would, happens at the micro level of the individual.

You have to walk to realise that there are footpaths alongside just about all Singapore roads. The walkways are shaded by trees and the pavements are bevelled. There are lifts at a number of overhead pedestrian bridges.

Retirement and zero income and the loss of medical benefits brought me to a polyclinic. I wanted subsidised rates but got, more preciously, preventive care. This feels like a jackpot win.

Whereas before I saw doctors only when I needed treatment, now I am enrolled in an efficient system of scheduled medical check-ups, doctor consultations, and meetings with dietitians. Every year my feet and eyes are checked for problems linked to diabetes.

Preventive medicine is the vision of The Action Plan for Successful Ageing launched this January.

I have begun working purposefully on proprioception – making my body clever. I got an instructor and learnt how to play the piano at 72.

I searched the Healthy 365 app for nearby action classes and now am enrolled in a bounce class. Every Monday evening I join a community centre group and we jump on little trampolines following the relentless drilling of an instructor.

An hour feels like an eternity but I hang on grimly.

Now I want to rock ‘n’ roll. Oh, how I used to love dancing until I became breathless and bursting with energy and joy.

Inevitably I will become fully dependent, and then infirm. It is enfeeblement that I want to delay. Read more at straitstimes.com.

07/08/2022

Most of the Tanglin Halt old-timers have moved to two sites in Margaret Drive: SkyResidence @ Dawson and SkyOasis @ Dawson. The Margaret Drive hawker centre opened on Aug 1, but there are no other shops nearby.

This means the past few months have also seen many of the seniors, including those with mobility issues, having to go to supermarkets or shops that are an eight- to 15-minute walk away for the average person.

The HDB pointed to “extensive delays” to almost all construction projects owing to the pandemic. And the authority said it had prioritised construction resources and activities so that residents could move into their new homes without undue delays.

A supermarket will open at SkyResidence @ Dawson before the year end, while an eating house, mini-market and more shops are expected to open at SkyOasis @ Dawson in the second quarter of next year.

As the wait continues, so too will the shuttle services that some residents have been relying on — operated by FaithActs as well as Queenstown grassroots organisations — to return to Tanglin Halt for eldercare services and more.

Wong used to go to the FaithActs centre four times a week and pass the time taking exercise classes, catching up with friends and playing games. It was a short stroll from her flat then.

But her new flat is at least a 15-minute walk away for the average person. That is why every Wednesday is a red-letter day for her.

FaithActs started the weekly transport service in April, after its beneficiaries had moved early this year and had highlighted the need for one.

“To us, these seniors are family, and we want to maintain that connection with them even after they’ve moved,” said FaithActs community outreach manager Helen Wong.

The elderly residents who moved to Margaret Drive have been relying on shuttle services to their old neighbourhood to eat, shop and hang out at their activity centre. But there is good news on the horizon.

01/08/2022

According to Zaobao, affected tenants had received a notice from HDB, informing them of the rental relocation, on Jul. 12 last year.

The notice reportedly informed tenants that the two HDB blocks would be redeveloped by the government.

According to the notice given to tenants, the tenants had to decide before end August 2021, on whether they wished to continue renting a unit from HDB, or to purchase a new flat.

They would then be able to begin their selection of a new rental unit or purchase a HDB unit, from this year.

Tenants would also receive S$2,500 for their relocation expenses.

All tenants are expected to move out of their rental flats, latest by Feb. 15, 2023.

Tenants are expected to move out of their flats by Feb. 15, 2023.

02/06/2022

I wrote this in response to this poem.

You need not remember because I will remind you.
You need not understand because I do.
Just rest and know I am here.
I will kiss your cheek and hold your hands.
I will try my best to chase away your confusion, sadness and loss.

I will not lose my patience, scold or curse you.
Do not worry.
I know you are not trying to give me a hard time.
You are having a hard time.

When you cannot see, doesn’t mean you will get lost.
When you cannot hear, doesn’t mean you cannot talk.
I will always be there for you.
Do not worry.
The things you don’t remember, are those I will never forget.

26/02/2022

She tells The Sunday Times: “It is not the end of the world just because you’re 60 – it’s just the beginning. We are having fun doing this, it’s like reliving our glory days. Most of the models I’ve reached out to and who’ve got on board were very keen, and people are generally supportive. It’s good even for a youngster to think, ‘Oh, when I reach 50 or 60, there’s a future, and I don’t have to be retired.’”

Andre-Besse, who has two daughters aged 31 and 28, adds: “We want to help seniors to still feel useful in their community and be financially independent. “We are all about inclusivity, diversity and positivity, and we want people to join our family. And coming from the same generation, we are also more considerate and careful when it comes to seniors’ needs.”

PAM also seeks to provide a platform of professional and personalised support for those who want to pursue a new career and chapter in life. There will be an academy arm to coach seniors without prior modelling experience on how to pose and walk, as well as mentally prepare them to enter the scene.

The dream of Barker, son of late politician E.W. Barker, is to pull off a whole fashion show where everyone is over 50, even the dressers, photographers, make-up artists, designers and show producers. He says: “Those who have left the industry need the confidence to go back in, need someone like us representing them to put them back into work, because taking that first step can be daunting.”

The trio note that the market for older models and talents has exploded over the past 10 years, as seniors appear more frequently in mainstream magazine editorials and fashion shows in Europe.

https://www.femalemag.com.sg/gallery/fashion/singapore-modelling-agency-older-senior-models-platinum-angels-management/

Platinum Angels Management is the first agency for senior models and wants to spark industry demand for platinum hair and laugh lines.

03/12/2020

Wait for us!

SINGAPORE — Excited about taking her dementia-stricken husband to the Singapore Flyer for the first time, Madam Chin Lew Lee waited eagerly for the redemption counters to open on Tuesday morning (Dec 1) to redeem her S$100 SingapoRediscovers Voucher.

28/11/2020

Flats might be demolished but her soul still lives on! Come on a tour now!
https://www.citizenadventures.com/dakota-adventures

However, the central cluster of the estate, comprising six blocks and an iconic dove playground, will be preserved.

31/03/2020

Friends in the hood take note!~

----
Together, we will be providing all our customers delivery service within 1km of our Old Airport Road Branch (This includes our customers working at Mountbatten Square).
Just additional $1/order will be charged for each delivery.
This $1 per order goes directly to this uncle as he rides his bicycle to bring you your food while you .

As we are not big organisation like the pink panda or the blue/green kangaroo... This simple gesture is simply to help Ah Guai put some food on his table for his family.

https://www.facebook.com/JunYuanHouseOfFish/posts/2619944114777074

Meet Ah Guai.
He is a regular customer of ours.
He is also one of those that had lost his job amidst this situation.
Being old, uneducated with no skills, he can't find a job.
But Ah Guai has a bicycle! 🙂
So he is very eng.. with no income.
We decided to help him.
Together, we will be providing all our customers delivery service within 1km of our Old Airport Road Branch (This includes our customers working at Mountbatten Square).
Just additional $1/order will be charged for each delivery.
This $1 per order goes directly to this uncle as he rides his bicycle to bring you your food while you .

As we are not big organisation like the pink panda or the blue/green kangaroo... This simple gesture is simply to help Ah Guai put some food on his table for his family.
Message Jun Yuan House of Fish (Old Airport Road) at 93211866 to make your order.
Let us all help each other during this period.
Kamsia!

19/03/2020

Yet, the COVID-19 crisis powerfully illustrates the social implications of inequality and sheds light on gaps in the management of our economy and society.

The economic impact of the crisis has been deep and widespread. Sectors like retail, tourism and transport have been hard hit. Jobs become at risk and small businesses worry about sustainability as revenues fall. In different ways, the disruption has reached all corners of society. But even the impact of such a large-scale crisis is unequal.

Among the hardest hit are low-wage workers whose livelihoods have always been insecure. Some of these jobs are in the gig economy, such as delivery and private car hire. Other jobs are insecure because they do not offer regular or full hours. When the economy stalls, these jobs are quickly threatened as customers reduce their spending and employers look to cut costs.

The insecure nature of these jobs is largely the result of limited employment protection and regulation. While this lowers the barriers to entry to some jobs and allows businesses to be more nimble when responding to fluctuations in demand, the flexibility has always come at the cost of workers’ income stability (in the short run) and, due to the lack of comprehensive old age income protection measures outside the CPF, retirement income security (in the long run).

The challenges of job insecurity are compounded by low wages. These workers and their households are often unable to build up substantial savings as a buffer against economic downturns, and the lives of their families can be thrown into disarray very quickly. Without monetary buffers, suddenly reduced incomes can affect their ability to manage mortgage payments, children’s educational expenses, and other basic needs like healthcare and food. And with a social assistance regime that combines intensive gatekeeping with short-term and ungenerous aid, help can be too little, too late.

Crisis is exactly the time to make structural changes to address poverty and inequality Academic Views / Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 Teo You Yenn, Associate Professor and Provost’s Chair in Sociology, Nanyang Technological University, and Ng Kok Hoe, Senior Research Fellow and Head, Case Study Unit,...

08/03/2020

Her choice of song echoed Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat's message of unity and highlighted that, with the Budget's financial help, Singapore's seniors, workers, businesses and families need not walk alone in facing the challenges from the coronavirus outbreak.

Yet many living in Singapore are alone in a more literal sense - some lonelier than others.

Consider our seniors, especially those made more vulnerable by illness and financial insecurity, some of whom spend their last years in solitude and isolation.

In a decade, 83,000 people aged 65 and over will live alone, up from 47,000 in 2016, according to government statistics.

And seniors living alone are twice as likely to develop symptoms of depression, according to a National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine study.

Or think about our migrant workers who leave their homes far behind to work in a foreign land where they barely know anyone.

A domestic helper also seemingly spends most of her time alone. In a typical family, with both parents working and the children at school, she will be often left on her own, and may not be allowed to leave the house.

One also does not need to be alone to be lonely. People of my age, possibly the most "social" generation ever, may also be one of the loneliest. We have a thousand "followers" and "friends" but don't feel remotely close to most of them.

A nationwide study done in Britain found those aged 16 to 24 experience loneliness more often and more intensely than any other age group, with 40 per cent feeling lonely often or very often.

Next to the payouts announced, what Singaporeans will likely remember from Budget 2020 will be the anthem of an English football club.. Read more at straitstimes.com.

07/03/2020

Currently, beneficiaries collect pre-packed hampers of donated food from social service centres. They cannot choose the items they receive.

But at the store, which is the first of its kind here, beneficiaries can choose up to 12 items a month, "purchasing" them by scanning their beneficiary cards at the counter of the store, which is manned by volunteers.

This system will also allow the charity to collect data on dietary preferences of its beneficiaries under a year-long study, targeted at developing a smarter food donation system.

Members of the public seeking to donate food can also drop their food items off in a food drop box at the store, rather than having to go to the charity's warehouse.

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee, who was also at the opening ceremony, added that having a choice in itself granted dignity to the needy.

"Being able to select what they want is an intangible and valuable gift. Beyond the food item, you give residents a choice. I think that's very powerful," said Mr Lee.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/store-in-mountbatten-hdb-estate-opens-where-needy-can-get-free-groceries?&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=addtoany&fbclid=IwAR39VfHuIzYHg1GiX52VcxelPtxdBuHTTIc5K_xojW4A2G_UNF4pg-hTUAQ

SINGAPORE - Even as supplies fly off the shelves at supermarkets across the island, one store in Mountbatten remained well stocked with provisions on Saturday morning (Feb 8) - despite patrons having to pay nothing for their purchases.. Read more at straitstimes.com.

03/03/2020

Demolishment begins, BB DC.

05/02/2020

Last Nov, we were joined by participants from MINDEF who were on a Learning Journey to learn about the lives of the residents from Dakota Crescent.

Their objective was to understand the experiences, needs and desires of citizens better, especially those whom they may not interact with on a regular basis. Through this experience, they hoped to be able to reflect improving their role as civil servants.

It was heartening to see their receptiveness and empathy to the stories that were shared.

One of the suggestions shared was to activate manpower from servicemen to participate in socially oriented projects like cleaning houses in rental flats or serving needs of the needs of elderly and children with the resources they had!

21/01/2020

What an honour! An opportunity to represent the communities we care and love.

Geylang Adventures
Backalleybarbers
Dakota-Cassia Adventures
Singapore Migrant Friends

13/01/2020

Good guide for grieving

This is one of our most popular posts. We hope it helps.

09/01/2020

Maternal instincts kicking in.