GERI at the 11th Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology (AGen) 2025

A record number of our researchers spoke at the 11th Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology (AGen) this year, showcasing insights from four GERI-led studies on topics such as active ageing programmes, frailty screening, telehealth and prescribing for older adults.

Dr Benedict Pang, Research Fellow, discussed findings from a GERI scoping review on community-based Active Ageing Programmes (AAPs). While active ageing is said to be a holistic approach to bridge the gap between longer lifespans and healthspan, Dr Pang points out that the literature remains unclear on what exactly constitutes an AAP.

From the scoping review, domains of behavioural, personal, and social determinants emerged as the most commonly covered in existing AAPs. This indicates a focus on the health pillar (physical, social, cognitive and emotional well-being) of active ageing, Dr Pang noted.

Araviinthansai Subramaniam, Research Associate presented a study done during the development stage of a new Inpatient Nursing Frailty Assessment (INFA) programme at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Under INFA, nurses lead the screening for frail older patients warded in hospital for age-related health issues and plan their care.

Araviin outlined anticipated implementation challenges and enablers elicited from interviews and focus groups with healthcare professionals, as well as factors influencing the acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility of INFA. Understanding contexts and engaging stakeholders before implementation is key to boosting a programme’s chances of success, Araviin emphasised.

Tang Jia Ying, Research Officer, discussed findings from a feasibility study conducted in collaboration with Changi General Hospital, on the implementation of a physician-pharmacist care intervention. This intervention aimed to reduce potentially inappropriate medications among older adults with multiple long-term health issues.

The team found that the intervention is viewed as acceptable and appropriate by both physicians and pharmacists, and identified areas to improve the referral process and the intervention. Jia Ying highlighted how reduction in potentially inappropriate medications indicated that medication reviews may help to optimise prescribing for this multimorbid cohort.

Zoey Tan, Research Officer provided updates from a recent GERI study which explored the effectiveness of a hospital-based post-discharge telehealth service. Users of the service, such as older adults and their caregivers, were surveyed and interviewed to identify and address barriers to implementation.

The team found that while telehealth generally improves patient engagement, there are notable differences in user experience between older adults (who were direct service users) and their representatives. Findings from the study would provide valuable insights for healthcare providers aiming to roll out sustainable telehealth and digital health solutions for older adults.