Seniors at 60 active ageing centres (AACs) across Singapore will soon have easy access to news, curated content and sharing sessions on topics such as financial literacy and scam awareness.
Seniors will get curated digital content on topics relevant to their daily lives, such as media literacy, health and wellness, said Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng on Oct 26, at the launch of the initiative.
For Madam Saliah Ismail, 64, a retiree and volunteer at Cedar Tree AAC in Tampines, the news is a bridge to connect with seniors in her neighbourhood.
She visits seniors who live alone, inviting them to join centre activities – often starting with a simple chat about what is in the headlines, or other topics they are interested in.
“Given our age, we don’t know much about digital things, and this is something we have to learn,” Madam Saliah said, especially in the age of scams. “It can be difficult for seniors because we don’t know much, but by reading the news, we can know whether what people tell us is true or not.”
She added that discussing familiar topics that often appear in the news, such as those linked to the Central Provident Fund, helps her build trust with isolated seniors. Once they feel comfortable, they are more willing to attend events organised by the AAC, she noted.
