The Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) was launched today at a ceremony officiated by Minister Lim Boon Heng (Prime Minister's Office) together with a new seed fund programme designed to support research and development initiatives that improve the lives of persons needing care and their caregivers. The Centre will champion quality and independent living for persons needing care as Singapore battles strains of a rapidly ageing population and changing demographics. Conceived by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), CEL was set up as a national support network to assist persons needing care and their caregivers.
The Centre for Enabled Living will help members of the public resolve their social care-related issues by matching individual needs with available services and allocating quality care. The coordinating activities of the Centre will gradually expand to include referral services, assistance schemes as well as a care management framework which offers end-to-end services. CEL currently provides information and referral services to persons with disabilities and their caregivers. With regards to the frail elderly, CEL has begun providing and expanding access to community-based home help and care.
Given that the number of elderly that have at least one difficulty with an activity of daily living (ADL) is estimated to reach 65,000 by 2020, the government recognizes the need to streamline social care services to minimise those falling through the net. Everyone may acquire a certain degree of disability – loss of sight, hearing, mobility and mental acuity amongst others – as they grow old and frail, and the number of persons needing care is set to increase with Singapore’s ageing population .
“The government aims to move towards a socially inclusive Singapore where persons needing care are provided the opportunity and support to remain integrated and contributing members of society,” said Minister Lim Boon Heng (Prime Minister’s Office). “CEL echoes this through its mission to engage, enable and enhance the lives of persons needing care and their caregivers by providing access to best-matched services and seamless care from the national support network. “
“CEL enables self reliance and independence of persons needing care and their caregivers by matching individual needs with available services and allowing them to make informed choices,” said Ms Lee Kwai Sem, Chief Executive of the Centre for Enabled Living. “This ensures that those truly in need of aid have access to the appropriate care, a better quality of life, are able to age in place and helps to prevent premature institutionalisation.”
As one of its first efforts, CEL unveiled the S$1,000,000 dollar Sustainable Enhancement for Eldercare and Disability services (S.E.E.D) Fund – a vehicle designed to identify and address disability and eldercare issues. The S.E.E.D Fund fosters closer industry collaboration and the sharing of best practices and findings, thus enhancing the capabilities of service providers and strengthening the national support network for persons needing care and their caregivers.
CEL partners with a variety of service provides such as disability care providers, eldercare providers, caregivers and the community at large to generate ideas and solicit feedback on enhancing eldercare and disability services. In this context CEL will be hosting the inaugural Enabling Week 2009 in November – a three day industry conference examining ways to address Singapore’s rapidly ageing population and changing demographics through a series of talks, workshops and activities. These explore public and private sector collaboration, facilitate capability building and identify and plug gaps in service.
