SUSS is spearheading the efforts to meet the needs of Singapore's rapidly ageing population for more trained professionals in the health, social and psychological services. As the needs of elder people require specialised care, SUSS dedicates training to address specific characteristics such as the ageing process through interdisciplinary courses in Gerontology. With a 12-year track record, we are the leading university with deep expertise in Gerontology studies and the Gerontology sector.
Discover Our Transformative Gerontology Initiatives
Supported by The Ngee Ann KongSi, SUSS has been engaging the community and industry through GeronENGAGE to educate the public on ageing issues and positive health-seeking behaviours, and GeronTECH to identify and support the use of technology to achieve successful ageing. Through our social entrepreneurship and geronpreneurship incubator programmes, SUSS works closely with industry partners to enhance the well-being of older adults through innovative and impactful gerontology initiatives.
GeronENGAGE
GeronENGAGE is a community-led effort facilitated by the SUSS Gerontology Programme team to advance and advocate elderly empowerment, community engagement and intergenerational bonding.
Our programmes and activities focus on the elements of Learn, Participate and Contribute. In support of the Ministry of Health's Action Plan for Successful Ageing 2023, we promote healthy ageing and social participation through the empowerment of seniors and by bringing together various stakeholders to create opportunities for age-friendly communities.
Through our capacity workshops and seminars, we bring global, regional and local thought leaders from healthcare, nonprofits, community groups, private sectors, gerontologists, academicians and researchers to share their knowledge and insights on the challenges and opportunities of ageing. We have seen magic happen through meaningful collaborations and partnerships, resulting in innovative and creative solutions and approaches for successful and healthy ageing.
- Promoting Healthy Ageing in Western Pacific Region Using WHO ICOPE Model
- Application of Person-centred Care in Preventive Care for Older Person
- Geron Technologies Application, Acceptance and Challenges: Lessons in Hong Kong
- GeronEngage Workshop
- Building A Compassion Community: Sharing from Japan
- WHO ICOPE Care Pathway Discussion
- Applied Research Project in Gerontology
- SUSS Gerontology Research Seminars
SUSS Gerontology Student and Alumni Community (SGSAC) formed a core team of 13 volunteers with diverse backgrounds in December 2021 and mobilised 80 volunteers from community partners, corporates, school, and alumni students to support senior residents staying at two rental blocks, 29 & 31, in Toa Payoh East with their relocation. Together, they contributed 1,785 community service hours on this project that impacted 42 seniors.
The resettlement is a significant milestone for many seniors, disrupting the familiarity, support system and comfort they have built living in Toa Payoh for many years. Our alumni and students supported these seniors by working closely with the relevant government agencies and community partners to smooth their resettlement journey. This helped minimise these seniors' anxiety and worry and enabled them to resettle with dignity and keep their fond memories intact, as they adjust to the new surroundings.
As the resettlement comes to an end in May 2023, SGSAC would like to share the video providing insights into this 18-month learning journey.
Studies on reminiscence have found that reminiscing can significantly increase blood flow to the brain, potentially up to 80 times. Reminiscence holds promise in easing symptoms of depression and slowing the progression of dementia and cognitive functioning.
Since 2019, our Gerontology Program has been dedicated to promoting a sense of connection, purpose, and happiness among seniors and caregivers through a series of reminiscence-based interventions and engaging community activities. READ MORE
Storytelling evokes empathy and has a positive influence on the attitudes of older adults. Combat Ageism through Storytelling is a collaborative project that involves youth, teachers and our SUSS Geron alumni to address ageist attitudes through a proven method and create opportunities for intergenerational collaborations.
This pilot is a collaboration with Tsao Foundation’s Community for Successful Ageing (ComSA) in Whampoa. We brought accessibility and convenience for seniors with our Loving Care Shuttle Bus Service. Two routes consisting of a Medical Route and a Social Route enable seniors with mobility issues to travel to their hospital and polyclinic visits, public transportation hub and major social venues easily and conveniently.
WHO Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) is a community-based approach towards person-centred health and social care to optimise the functional ability of older people.
The ICOPE Framework aims to assist health, social care workers and caregivers to
- Screen older people at risk of care dependency in the community;
- Perform a person-centred assessment in primary care; and
- Design a personalised care plan
across 6 intrinsic capacities — Locomotor Capacity, Vitality, Visual Capacity, Psychological Capacity, Cognitive Capacity and Hearing Capacity — essential for independent living. This support HealthierSG’s preventive care approach.
Singapore’s pioneer batch of 40 ICOPE Assessors was certified in February 2023, and a research study was kickstarted to test the feasibility of community screening using ICOPE in Singapore and how the empowerment of health was possible through a personalised care plan.
“In our discussion, we find the ICOPE easy to administer, and it could help family members to better determine if a health check is needed and which area to focus on as a start.”
“The ICOPE initiative presents a chance for older people to take charge of their own health with the support of their loved ones and community — giving us hope that Singaporeans can age longer and healthier in time to come.”
“A powerful forum where diverse minds come together to ignite new ideas, collaborate on solutions, and drive meaningful change for a common cause. It is a great opportunity for those passionate about improving the caregiving journey for seniors to come together and make a positive impact. We need more of such!"
GeronTECH
One of GeronTECH's objectives is to identify and promote the use of technology to facilitate successful ageing. These initiatives contribute to preparing both the eldercare sector and Singaporeans for the future by leveraging gerontechnological products to effectively enhance the quality of care and life for the elderly and their caregivers.
Under the GeronTECH pillar, the SUSS Gerontology Programme team aims to identify and support the use of technology to achieve successful ageing. We will develop pilot solutions to prepare the future of the eldercare sector and Singaporeans by leveraging Geron-technological products to effectively enhance the quality of care and life of the elderly and their caregivers.
The inaugural batch of 24 GeronTech Ambassadors (GTAs) completed the 3-level SUSS’s GeronTech Ambassador course, developed in partnership with SG Assist. This course aims to equip older adults to become GTAs, empowering them with the knowledge to support the community by advocating gerontechnology adoption to fellow seniors and caregivers to support ageing in place through experiential learning.
GTAs did their practicum at ELDEX Asia (3-4 November 2023) where they guide the ELDEX visitors through the exciting world of gerontechnology, helping them to identify areas where gerontech and assistive products can assist in independent living. GTAs are also leading the guided tour at the Age+ Living Lab.
Register today for the upcoming course. For more information, please email [email protected]. This complimentary course is supported by The Ngee Ann KongSi.
The Age+ Living Lab, led by SUSS, is a community-driven initiative committed to supporting national initiatives such as Age Well SG and the 2023 Action Plan for Successful Ageing. It serves as a testament to SUSS’s commitment and dedication to building the capability and confidence of seniors and caregivers, enabling them to age in place and thrive in their homes and communities with the help of assistive products and gerontechnology.
The Age+ Living Lab serves as a platform for experiential learning activities and tours, allowing the public to explore and gain a deeper understanding of gerontechnology. Gerontechnology can be enablers for confident ageing in place and reduce the burden on caregivers.
Since its launch on 15 March 2024, over 1800 seniors, caregivers, stakeholders from government agencies, community and social organisations have visited and benefitted from the experiential learning tour. Visit the Age+ Living Lab for the complimentary tour. READ MORE.
Research
Through research with our partners, SUSS aims to advance the field of gerontology and expand the knowledge of the public as well as the private sectors.
Realising Opportunities in Ageing Societies
Ageing as a Source of Innovation and Growth
The Ageing Agenda
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Ageing as the Next Frontier
Advancing ageing inclusion
Making an Impact
Find out how Mary, SUSS Gerontology alumni, makes a difference with her Masters of Gerontology from SUSS.
Programmes
Choose from over 80 programmes to suit and meet your learning needs.
Graduate Diploma in Gerontology
Preparing students with advanced knowledge and skills to be leaders and consultants in the field of gerontology
Doctor of Philosophy (Gerontology)
A balance of content knowledge, research skills training, and intense supervision by Gerontology experts.
Blogs
Level Up Standards in Eldercare
Adopt some ideas from our regional counterpart to elevate eldercare in Singapore.
1 Nov 2019|3 Mins Read
Tap On Older Workers to Further Business Growth
Build an agile, inclusive and growing organisation by employing older workers.
1 Nov 2019|3 Mins Read
Is The Retirement Age Still Necessary?
Tapping on the greying workforce can be a boon to economic growth.
1 Nov 2019|3 Mins Read
Will Grandparenting Still Exist In The Future?
As our population ages, being raised by grandparents could be a thing of the past.
6 Jan 2020|9 Mins Read
Empowering Seniors for Delayed Retirement
As the number of Singaporeans delaying retirement grows, what measures need to be put in place to meet the needs of these individuals?
4 Mar 2020|4 Mins Read
Measures To Overcome Elderly Suicide
Taking a multi-pronged approach to building the eldercare ecosystem and guarding against elderly suicide.
8 Apr 2020|6 Mins Read
Old but Gold: Why Hire Older Workers?
In a time where older workers are more susceptible to growing retrenchments, we shed light on the many advantages of employing older people.
17 Sep 2020|5 Mins Read
How Can We Foster Meaningful Ageing?
While the “many helping hands” approach is sound in theory, it is still very much a work in progress. We explore other potential solutions.
21 Apr 2021|4 Mins Read
Creating an age-friendly Singapore
Our population is ageing rapidly. Why should we care? Are we prepared for it? What else can be done? These are some questions we answer.
27 Sep 2022|8 Mins Read
Podcasts
Silver Linings Ep 2.1: Road To Meaningful Ageing
Join the speakers to discuss meaningful ageing: what it is and how we can encourage it.
13 Jan 2021|21 Mins Audio
Silver Linings Ep 2.2: Road to Meaningful Ageing
Join the speakers to discuss meaningful ageing: what it is and how we can encourage it.
27 Jan 2021|22 Mins Audio
Silver Linings Ep 2.3: Road To Meaningful Ageing
Join the speakers to discuss meaningful ageing: what it is and how we can encourage it.
10 Feb 2021|24 Mins Audio
Raising an Ageing Population (Part 1)
Join the speakers as they discuss the urgency and complexities of creating an age-friendly community.
17 Feb 2022|7 Mins Audio
Raising An Ageing Population (Part 2)
Join the speakers as they discuss the urgency and complexities of creating an age-friendly community.
4 Mar 2022|14 Mins Audio
Raising An Ageing Population (Part 3)
Join the speakers as they discuss the urgency and complexities of creating an age-friendly community.
18 Mar 2022|12 Mins Audio
Media
Partnership In Healthcare Innovation, Active Ageing, Research And Education
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) signs two MOUs that will also encourage intergenerational bonding
Singapore, 23 Feb 2019 – The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) today signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to 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 EngAGE1 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 our 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 our student 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.
For media queries and RSVP, please contact the following personnel:
Valerie Ng (Ms)
Senior PR Manager
Singapore University of Social Sciences
DID: 6248-0364
Email: [email protected]
Laura Cheng (Ms)
Manager, PR
Sport Singapore
DID: 6500-5217
Email: [email protected]
Cheryl Lim (Ms)
Communications Executive
SingHealth Community Hospitals
Email: [email protected]
Cindy Yong (Ms)
Corporate Affairs, Communications
Changi General Hospital
DID: 6936-6938
Email: [email protected]
1 Geron EngAGE is a social network for SUSS Gerontology alumni, students, faculty and industry players 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 an autonomous university of Singapore that is continually providing inclusive lifelong learning and applied education opportunities with a strong social emphasis that transcends disciplinary focus. Our 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.
We offer 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. We also launched a broad range of continuing education and training modular courses for the professional skills and knowledge upgrading of our workforce.
Our 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 https://www.suss.edu.sg/programmes/detail/master-of-gerontology-mger-maj
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. Our 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.sg and www.myactivesg.com. Follow SportSG at www.youtube.com/SingaporeSports.
