Debated in Parliament on 28 Nov 2022.
Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Health whether there are plans to leverage on smart home technology and devices to support senior care at home given Singapore's ageing population.
MOH and partner agencies do leverage smart home technologies to enhance care and support for seniors in their homes. For example, under the Lift Improvement and Facilities Enhancement for the elderly project, a wireless Alert Alarm System was jointly developed by HDB, MOH and GovTech. This is implemented at selected 1-room rental blocks with relatively high concentrations of seniors. Seniors in distress can call for help by pressing alert buttons. This will alert a nearby Active Ageing Centre or Careline's 24/7 helpline.
Service providers have also been partnering the private sector to trial smart technologies that best suit their seniors' needs. These include enabling remote monitoring of vitals, assessment of mental and emotional well-being, and reminders for events and appointments.
We also support the development of innovative technology for senior care at home. MOH launched the Care-At-Home Innovation Grant in 2015 under the National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing, to fund research on enhancing the efficiency and quality of home care services.
For example, one project developed a web-based health management system integrating technology and various home care services, such as smart home sensors, medication adherence and meal planning and delivery. The system improved productivity of care staff and led to better care outcomes like increased medical adherence and reduced hospital admissions. The Government will continue to explore how promising research projects can be scaled up and deployed.
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