Partnership in healthcare innovation, active ageing, research and education to help the elderly and their caregivers
SINGAPORE,Feb. 23,2019 --The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on February 23to collaborate on various initiatives to better understand and support the needs of the growing silver generation as well as their caregivers. The MOUs also aim to encourage active ageing and intergenerational bonding.
Prof Cheong Hee Kiat,President,SUSS,who signed the MOUs,said: "With Singapore facing an ageing population,more needs to be done to help the elderly,their caregivers and encourage intergenerational relationship. These two MOUs are significant and meaningful steps towards this end,and we are delighted that our faculty,students and alumni will be able to contribute and gain from the collaboration. It is in line with our university's social focus and applied learning approach."
Collaboration with Changi General Hospital Pte Ltd (CGH) and SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH)
The parties intend to cooperate on healthcare innovation,research and education to help elderly patients in CGH and community hospitals under SCH,for a period of three years.
Under the partnership,the partners aim to raise awareness of ageing issues as well as advocate for a better environment for seniors,as part of SUSS' Geron EngAGE[1]initiative.
SUSS will involve their Gerontology postgraduate students and faculty to conduct research projects,and explore opportunities for collaborative development of innovative health technology. CGH will lend their support to the partnership by providing guidance and internship opportunities to SUSS PhD students particularly in Gerontology.
The three partners will also share domain expertise through various platforms such as lectures and best practice sharing sessions.
"In our community hospitals,a high percentage of our patients are seniors who are above 60 years old. Our clinical team hopes to improve our understanding of the ageing issues surrounding this demographic by working closely with SUSS and their Gerontology students,to deliver better care for our elderly patients. This collaboration is fitting with our endeavour to continuously innovate new models of care at SCH,where we seek to understand our patients and their needs so that we can provide person-centred care for our patients to achieve health goals together with them. I look forward to positive outcomes for our patients,and I believe that there will be many useful learning points to prepare us better for the healthcare challenges of our elderly population," said Ms Margaret Lee,Chief Executive Officer of SingHealth Community Hospitals.
Adjunct Professor Lee Chien Earn,Chief Executive Officer,CGH,said: "We are excited to partner SingHealth Community Hospitals and SUSS to create a health ecosystem that is not just elderly friendly,but also enable and empower our elderly to keep well,get well and age well. We hope to improve care outcomes and quality of life of our patients and community by learning from each other,and synergising our respective capabilities in healthcare innovation,research and education."
Collaboration with Sport Singapore (SportSG) and People's Association (PA)
The parties aim to bring together key capabilities and capacities to contribute towards the national outcome of Active Ageing via tripartite impact-research-advocacy work on ageing and intergenerational mixing.
Ang Mo Kio Community Centre (AMK CC) and ActiveSG will work together to provide an integrative,inclusive and innovative platform to encourage intergenerational activities and bonding among volunteers,residents and service providers.
SUSS Gerontology faculty and students will work with ActiveSG Gym at AMK CC to pioneer the integration of applied and practice research with sports,wellness and education within the community setting,which can then be applied across various uses.
Among the possible research areas include intergenerational bonding/communication,sport and health status of elderly,and impact of the partnership via longitudinal exploration.
The partners will also co-create programmes that promote active ageing,health and intergenerational mixing for the community.
SportSG CEO,Mr Lim Teck Yin,said: "This collaboration will see us coming together to enable and learn about active ageing and intergenerational mixing. Our joint efforts will inform the design of holistic programming for sports and play,and opportunities for care and giveback. We are looking to nurture social networks where family,friends and colleagues support and sustain an enjoyable and active lifestyle."
Ang Mo Kio CC Youth Executive Club Chairman,Mr Gabriel Goh,said: "We look forward to a meaningful,sustainable and scalable tripartite partnership with SUSS and SportSG. We strongly believe that this partnership would be able to benefit the community at large,by bringing youths and seniors together through awareness and advocacy of active ageing and intergenerational bonding."
Supporting Quotes
SUSS Head of Gerontology Programmes,Dr Carol Ma,said: "Our gerontology programmes aim to develop students with theoretical knowledge as well as practical experiences in eldercare. The two MOUs will create a platform for our students and alumni to further apply what they have learnt from our programmes to serve the community in both health and social care sectors."
SUSS Gerontology Alumni Chairman,Mr Sng Hock Lin,who is also pursuing his PhD in Gerontology in SUSS,is excited about the collaboration. He said: "The SUSS Gerontology alumni advocate and believe in serving the seniors,who are at the heart and purpose of our studies. The collaboration will support the application of our knowledge in achieving this purpose and in understanding ageing-related issues. This practical experience would in turn enrich our perspectives."
Open House
On February 23,SUSS also held its bi-annual Open House to welcome prospective students as well as families and friends. They were able to gain valuable insights from attending the programme briefings conducted by faculty members and enrichment talks by industry practitioners.
Visitors also had a fulfilling day interacting with SUSS' students and alumni ambassadors,who shared about the University's practice-oriented education,and flexible learning environment. They had a peek into the life of a typical SUSS student.
With over 70 degree programmes and 1,200 courses in diverse disciplines,prospective students were able to find an education that best fuels their ambitions,no matter their life stage. Some lucky visitors also walked away with attractive prizes for participating in the games,quizzes and contests.
[1] Geron EngAGE is a social network for SUSS Gerontology alumni,students,faculty and industryplayers in the eldercare landscape. Geron EngAGE provides a platform to raise greater awareness of the work of gerontologists through evidence-based inputs and educational activities.
About the Singapore University of Social Sciences
SUSS is a national university of Singapore that is continually providing inclusive lifelong learning and applied education opportunities with a strong social emphasis that transcends disciplinary focus. Their mission is to champion lifelong education to develop future thinkers and leaders to their fullest potential through our 3H's education philosophy-- 'Head' for professional competency with applied knowledge,'Heart' for social awareness of the needs of the society,and 'Habit' for passion towards lifelong learning. SUSS offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate programmes,available in full- and part-time study modes which are flexible,modular and multi-faceted in learning experience to cater to both fresh school leavers and adult learners. SUSS also launched a broad range of continuing education and training modular courses for the professional skills and knowledge upgrading of our workforce. SUSS' programmes and courses are made available through our five schools:
- S R Nathan School of Human Development,
- School of Business,
- School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences,
- School of Law,and
- School of Science and Technology.
To date,over 30,000 graduates have chosen SUSS as their university of choice. Each year,over 15,000 students are pursuing their part- and full-time studies with us. For more information on SUSS,please visit www.suss.edu.sg
SUSS Gerontology Programmes
SUSS is the first in Singapore to offer a holistic training for a rewarding career in the eldercare and silver sector. For details on our Graduate Diploma and Master programmes,please refer to http://www.suss.edu.sg/programmes/programme-details/Pages/Graduate-Diploma-and-Master-of-Gerontology.aspx
For details on PhD in Gerontology,please refer to http://www.suss.edu.sg/programmes/programme-details/Pages/PhD-in-Gerontology.aspx
About People's Association
The People's Association (PA) was established on 1 July 1960 as a statutory board to promote racial harmony and social cohesion in Singapore. Their mission is to build and bridge communities in achieving one people,one Singapore.
PA offers a wide range of programmes to cater to Singaporeans from all walks of life -connecting people to people,and people and government. We do this through our network of 1,800 grassroots organisations (GROs),over 100 Community Clubs,five Community Development Councils,National Community Leadership Institute and Water-Venture.
About SingHealth Community Hospitals
SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) comprises Bright Vision Hospital,Sengkang Community Hospital and Outram Community Hospital,where the focus goes beyond healthcare to health as patients are provided with a homely environment to recuperate and take part in well-paced personalised care. As part of the SingHealth Regional Health System,SCH believes in working closely with community partners to allow patients to receive holistic and continued care during admission and after discharge.
About Changi General Hospital
Changi General Hospital (CGH) is an award-winning public hospital with over 1,000 beds serving a community of more than 1 million people in eastern Singapore. CGH offers a comprehensive range of medical specialties and services,helmed by a highly experienced and skilled team of healthcare professionals who consistently deliver excellent health outcomes and care for patients. CGH is a member of the SingHealth cluster of healthcare institutions.
Sport Singapore
As the national sports agency,Sport Singapore's core purpose is to inspire the Singapore spirit and transform Singapore through sport. Through innovative,fun and meaningful sporting experiences,our mission is to reach out and serve communities across Singapore with passion and pride. With Vision 2030-- Singapore's sports master plan,our mandate goes beyond winning medals. Sport Singapore uses sport to create greater sporting opportunities and access,more inclusivity and integration as well as broader development of capabilities. Sport Singapore works with a vast network of public-private -people sector partners for individuals to live better through sports. To find out more,visit SportSG's websites www.sportsingapore.gov.sgand www.myactivesg.com.Follow SportSG atwww.facebook.com/myActiveSG andwww.youtube.com/SingaporeSports.
