Speeches
Speech by Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home Affairs at the 1st Ageing Research Institute For Society And Education (ARISE) Research Symposium, 11 November 2017, 8.40am
11 November 2017
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Professor Bertil Andersson, President, Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Professor Theng Yin Leng, Acting Executive Director, ARISE, NTU
Mr Goh Kim Hock, Chairman of the Education/Scholarships & Bursaries Sub-Committee, Ngee Ann Kongsi,
Mr Yeo Boon Hon, Member of the Committee of Management at Ngee Ann Kongsi
Prof Philip Choo,Group Chief Executive Officer, National Healthcare Group,
Member, GERI Committee and Chairman, ARISE Advisory Board
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning. I am pleased to join you this morning at the inaugural Ageing Research Institute for Society and Education (ARISE) Research Symposium.
2 Singapore’s population is ageing rapidly. By 2030, the number of seniors aged 65 and above will increase to over 900,000 or about one in every four Singaporeans. Singaporeans are also living longer and healthy lives. Our average life expectancy at birth has reached 82 years. Our Health Adjusted Life Expectancy, or HALE for short, which provides an estimate of the average number of years lived in good health, has increased from 65.3 years in 1990 to 72.3 years in 2015 for males, and from 68.5 years to 75.0 years for females.[1] These statistics show that we can most certainly embrace the new possibilities that longevity brings.
3 The Government is tapping on translational multi-disciplinary research and innovation to help our seniors age well. As part of the Action Plan for Successful Ageing, we have set up the National Innovation Challenge (NIC) on Active and Confident Ageing with up to $200 million in research funds to catalyse cross-institutional and multi-disciplinary research that can be translated into new solutions for an ageing society. Since its inception in August 2015, we have awarded over $20 million across three grant calls seeking ideas to improve the productivity of home care, reduce the risk of cognitive decline and better care for seniors with dementia in the community, as well as transform ageless workplaces. We have also recently launched another two grant calls – Healthy Ageing Innovation Grant and Grant Call on Falls Prevention. Through these grant calls, we hope to attract multi-disciplinary research proposals that are scaleable and sustainable, which can be implemented on the ground to transform Singapore into an age-friendly society.
4 To tie in with the theme of today’s research symposium, “Transforming Ageing Societies through Science and Technology”, I would like to focus on four main areas where research solutions can contribute to the well-being of our seniors.
TRANSLATABLE RESEARCH FOR SENIORS’ WELL-BEING
5 First, is on the physical well-being of our seniors. Technology plays an increasingly important role to support our efforts on ageing-in-place, through delivery of holistic healthcare and eldercare to allow independent ageing in the community. Specifically, assistive technology and robotics technology are particularly beneficial, as they can enable seniors to live more independently, and help them to complete daily activities and tasks that may otherwise be difficult for some seniors to handle on their own.
6 In this regard, NTU’s Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS) has been working on a few useful projects using rehabilitation science and engineering. For example, Associate Professor Ang Wei Tech is planning to develop a soft robotic exosuit which would actuate limb and torso movement for balance recovery. The exosuit will help to reduce falls risks which may cause serious injuries and repercussions. Eventually, the refined exosuit will be test-bedded at St Luke’s Eldercare Centres to ensure usability, scalability and sustainability so as to allow seniors to maintain their mobility for longer periods of time.
7 Second is on seniors’ cognitive well-being. Our brain is responsible for much of the activities that we carry out, and is where our cognitive functions reside. However, our cognitive functions are also at the mercy of normal biological ageing. We may find it more difficult to recall new information, acquire new knowledge as we age, and in some pathological cases, we may even begin to forget our loved ones if dementia sets in.
8 I understand that Professor Miao Chun Yan at NTU’s LILY (Joint NTU-UBC Research Centre of Excellence in Active living for The Elderly) is working to develop a data-driven personalised cognitive functioning assessment toolkit for dementia by combining the power of the Internet and behavioural big data analytics with cognitive training. This predictive assessment tool will pave the way for timely and personalised interventions to improve cognitive functioning and delay the onset of dementia. It will allow seniors suffering from or are at risk of developing dementia to retain control of their mental faculties for longer periods of time. The project, funded by the Grant Call on Cognition under the NIC, is a good example of multi-disciplinary research that combines technologies from different fields of machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, and medical science together to create innovative solutions which could transform the way our society can deal with cognitive decline as a result of ageing.
9 Third, is on social well-being of our seniors. A common issue that many seniors face is social isolation and loneliness. Seniors may have fewer social activities upon their retirement or may be in poor health that restricts their mobility and ability to participate in social activities. Some seniors may also not have family members who are available to provide constant care and attention. NTU researchers have been working to develop a number of technologies, and one of these is the silver artificial companion. The silver companion is powered with artificial intelligence technologies and can act as a personalised artificial agent to help lessen the problem of loneliness among seniors. There are a myriad of companionship features which can be parked in multiple devices and platforms for easy access.
10 Professor Theng Yin Leng also has an ongoing NIC-funded project which aims to build a Homecare and Caregiving Model for Optimising Services for the Elderly (HOCAMOSE) prototype. This prototype provides typical scenarios of homecare and caregiving services using technologies, underpinned by a deeper understanding of human issues such as homecare recipients’ needs requirements, behaviours, social and community support and care. By tapping on technology to transform home care delivery, seniors can continue living in the community for as long as possible.
11 Last but not least, research and innovations in technologies can also enable seniors to continue to work for as long as they wish and even increase their productivity. Professor Chen I-Ming from NTU’s School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering is working on developing a Semi-Autonomous Assistive Shelver that will enable mature workers to handle common injury-prone and heavy tasks in supermarket, under the NIC’s Ageless Workplaces Innovation Grant. The project team is partnering with Changi General Hospital, NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd and Sheng Siong Group Ltd group to test-bed this solution which can potentially open up more job opportunities for seniors to remain economically active and financially independent.
AGEING RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR SOCIETY AND EDUCATION (ARISE) AND THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED GERONTOLOGY PROGAMME
12 I am heartened to know that ageing research in NTU is thriving. NTU has consistently participated in our NIC grant calls and has been awarded funding for 5 projects, at a total of about $7 million, in the areas of patient-care and volunteer management, cognitive assessment and intervention, and aged worker enabling technology and assistive technology for falls prevention.
13 The formation of ARISE is very timely to support our nation’s efforts in advancing translatable research in ageing to meet the needs of our seniors. ARISE’s vision to “Empower the ageing community and Improve the quality of life” is well-aligned with our objectives in the Action Plan to build a Nation for All Ages.
14 With the ramping up of ageing-related translatable research, we also need to develop local human capital in gerontology and ageing. The launch of NTU’s new Master of Science in Applied Gerontology will also complement our efforts in transforming the ageing experience in Singapore. I hope that the new Masters programme will enable more Singaporeans to learn more about as well as contribute to the ageing research field in Singapore.
CONCLUSION
15 The Government is committed to focus on and support research that would bring about solutions to make the ageing experience a gracious one. I am confident that working together with the research community will result in highly impactful solutions to support the ageing population today and well into the future.
16 At today’s research symposium, you will be hearing perspectives from leading academics and researchers in the field of diabetes research, chronic care management, the biology of ageing and community care. I am pleased to see in the audience representatives from academia, healthcare organisations, public agencies and voluntary welfare organisations. This attests to the importance of engaging multi-sectoral stakeholders to contribute ideas and become active partners in ageing research. I urge all of you to take the opportunity to expand your own research horizons, exchange ideas, form new collaborations and strengthen existing partnerships.
17 I wish all of you a fruitful and rewarding symposium. Thank you.