Healthy Ageing in the COVID-19 era

GERI's Executive Director Associate Professor Ding Yew Yoong observed that healthy ageing among older adults, as the COVID-19 era has demonstrated, calls for targeted and holistic efforts to strengthen both intrinsic capacity and extrinsic environments—key to preventing functional decline among older Singaporeans.

Speaking at the SMU Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA)'s 2nd Annual Symposium on Successful Ageing (1 Nov 2022), Associate Professor Ding said, "One unexpected outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has foregrounded the crucial role of supporting environments, such as social relationships, health-social services, and public policies, in promoting the well-being of older persons. A whole-of-society approach is needed to tailor these supports to the unique needs of Singapore's older population, in addition to developing and maintaining their physical and mental capacities. Together, this will go a long way in advancing healthy ageing in Singapore."

In his presentation, Associate Professor Ding also highlighted the need to examine healthy ageing from the individual, relationship, community and societal levels of the ecosystem. Given the heterogeneity of the population of older adults, Associate Professor Ding cautioned that more work had to be done to identify the different sub-groups of seniors in order to tackle ageing concerns in a more targeted manner. Innovative strategies to enhance intrinsic capacity and extrinsic environments – to be co-created, piloted, adapted, implemented and scaled up – could provide a roadmap for preventing functional decline among older adults in the COVID-19 era and beyond. 

During the Symposium's Keynote Panel moderated by ROSA Director Professor Paulin Straughan, Associate Professor Ding shared his thoughts on how training for Singapore's healthcare professionals could be enhanced in readiness for the national HealthierSG initiative. In particular, Associate Professor Ding identified the aspects of person-centred practice, an adaptive and supportive ecosystem and a culture of mentorship between senior and junior practitioners as beneficial elements for healthcare professionals as Singapore moves towards HealthierSG.