Tapping tech for eldercare

Brain training, podcasts make ageing easier and fun, but human connections are still important

- Akshita Nanda

Singapore is expected to be a super-aged society by 2026 as more than one in five here will be aged 65 or older. From brain training systems to sensors primed to detect falls, technology innovations are increasingly part of the landscape of ageing Singapore.

Take Madam Rupiah Sarwan's weekly routine to support her mental well-being. The 78-year-old wears a headset and earclip to monitor her brainwaves and pulse as she plays memory games on a tablet.

Her stress levels and well-being are noted by this Omnifit device while she does various activities, under the eye of a nurse.

Later, Madam Rupiah moves on to art and craft activities, such as colouring or making collages.

"I prefer these," says the housewife, who lives with a helper in her HDB flat. Her husband died in 2023.

She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 and finds it difficult to move around without assistance.

Her grown son and daughter live separately with their families, since Madam Rupiah likes her space. She prefers to follow her own routines rather than go for community activities at active ageing centres.

Her daughter Fairouz Mohamad Yusop says her mother does not like noise or crowds. "Overstimulation stresses her out," she adds.

So, the family signed Madam Rupiah up for an artificial intelligence-backed home-care service offered by local provider iKare, which includes the brain-training programme.

On signing up, a client's mental and physical condition are evaluated by a nurse or care therapist, and a proprietary AI system.

The results are used to design a programme - which is evaluated by a human care team, including a doctor - to boost the client's well-being.

Madam Rupiah's programme includes brain training and relaxing activities on the tablet, music therapy, and art and craft activities, carried out under supervision.