Speech By Mr Lim Boon Heng Minister Prime Minister's Office At The Launch Of HPB-MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines On Functional Screening For Older Adults In The Community

Speech by Mr Lim Boon Heng,
Minister, Prime Minister s Office,
at the Launch of HPB-MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines on Functional Screening for Older Adults in the Community,
Saturday, 17 July 2010, 2.00pm at College of Medicine Building, Ministry of Health

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1 Good afternoon. I am delighted to be here today to launch the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Functional Screening for Older Adults in the Community.

2 As we all know, our population in Singapore is ageing rapidly. By 2030, one in every five residents will be more than 65 years of age, up from one in 11 today. Singaporeans are living longer. When Singapore became independent in 1965, the life expectancy at birth was 65 years. [64.5 years] The average life expectancy of a Singaporean born today is 81 years. Although the increase in life expectancy is clearly an achievement, we also need to strive for better health among our older population. We know that men in Singapore lose about six and a half years of healthy life due to illness, while for women it is just over seven years. Medical professionals know what this figure means, but the average man-in-street may not. It just means that men live with an illness for six and a half years, and women seven years. Most are able to go about their daily life; but life could be better. Ideally, we should live long and live well, in good health. That is why we should enable people to know their health condition and their health risks, so that they can do something about it, in order to enjoy their added years of life.

3 As a person grows older, he or she will usually experience some form of age-related functional decline that could affect independence and quality of life. Ageing is an accumulative process influenced largely by lifestyle behaviour throughout the lifespan, and to some extent influenced by genetic factors. The vision deteriorates; hearing becomes more difficult; physical strength and balance declines; oral problems accumulate and the older person is at higher risk of depression, as they cope with these age-related functional changes.

4 An older adult with hearing impairment may experience difficulty understanding others and this could lead to frustration, depression or even isolation. An older person who has mobility problems or poor vision is also at higher risk of falls, which can lead to falls-related hospitalisation and disability.

5 One way to detect early signs of functional decline is through screening. Screening can bring to light early symptoms and interventions may then be offered. By maintaining or improving function, independence can be preserved and older adults can continue to perform their usual daily activities. This will not only help them remain active and engaged in the community, it will also allow them to continue to contribute to society and maintain a positive self-esteem.

6 Following the launch of this Clinical Practice Guidelines, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) will be piloting the Community Functional Screening Programme at selected Wellness Programme sites, starting with Jurong Central, Jalan Besar, Kebun Baru, and Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng. Over a one-year period from September 2010, residents aged 60 years and above will be invited to participate in this pilot programme, to have their functional status assessed at subsidised rates. Individuals who are experiencing functional decline will be counselled by nurses and referred to relevant healthcare services for follow-up consultation and appropriate treatment.

7 The Wellness Programme is a national programme led by the People s Association, which aims to promote healthy living, physical activity and social engagement among Singapore residents aged 50 years and above. A two-year pilot of the Wellness Programme was launched in 2008 at 12 constituencies. More than 17,000 seniors benefited from the Programme, exceeding our initial target of 12,000 seniors. With encouraging outcomes from the pilot phase, the Wellness Programme has now been extended to another 30 new sites. These Wellness sites are located in the heart of each constituency and within the community to better reach out to their older residents. The Wellness Programme is therefore the ideal platform to pilot the Community Functional Screening Programme.

8 The launch of this Clinical Practice Guidelines on Functional Screening for Older Adults in the Community is indeed timely. With these guidelines, we will be able to introduce evidence-based functional screening in the community and to promote awareness of the importance of functional health in a greying population. While this is a HPB-initiated programme, we recognise that the collective efforts from the healthcare and social sectors are crucial to ensure continuity of care for the individuals, and to empower them to age-in-place, within the community.

9 On this note, I wish to encourage every partner involved in the care of older persons whether you are from the public, private or people sector, to promote functional independence in our older population so that they can remain independent and enjoy a good quality of life even as they grey.

Thank you.