Monday 9 November 2015

AICare Link: New mobile app for seniors to check on financial aid eligibility

Using the app, called AICare Link, caregivers, grassroots volunteers, medical social workers and community care professionals can check whether their family members or clients are eligible for various subsidies.
By Liyana Othman, Channel NewsAsia, 7 Nov 2015

A new mobile application allows the public to find out if they qualify for financial assistance. Targeted at seniors, it's the first of its kind in Singapore. The app was launched at the annual Teck Ghee Active Ageing Night.

Using the app, called AICare Link, caregivers, grassroots volunteers, medical social workers and community care professionals can check whether their family members or clients are eligible for various subsidies.

The app lists more than 15 of them, including the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF), Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) and Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant.



The app is available free for iOS and Android mobile users through the app stores. A web version of the app is also made available on AIC’s Singapore Silver Pages, an online resource portal which was enhanced earlier this year to improve user experience. It was developed by the Agency for Integrated Care.

At the event, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong joined some 1,500 members of the Teck Ghee Wellness Programme, which celebrated its fifth year on Saturday night. More than 6,000 seniors have signed up since the programme was launched.

The theme was Kampong Yesteryear - giving participants a chance to relive their kampung days. Assistive devices like walking aids were also presented to residents under the enhanced Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund administered by AIC.

In addition, Residents' Committees which recruited more than 200 senior citizens into the Wellness Programme were recognised, along with 48 newly-appointed Wellness Ambassadors. The event was jointly organised by the Teck Ghee Active Ageing Committee, ITE College Central and Nanyang Polytechnic.



Mr Lee said: “What we're trying to do is to look for new activities which will be useful to residents, which residents will find interesting, meaningful, and would like to participate in.

“We're doing four more new things. One, to have a Wellness Ambassadors programme, to go out and talk to the old people, and explain to them what we're doing, and encourage them to participate in our activities. And the Wellness Ambassadors can be young or old people.

“We're going to have a seniors' get-together sessions, so that we will organise activities, not just in the CC here, but also in our various neighbourhoods, at the void decks, so that it's not so far for the old folks to go, more convenient, and we hope more old folks will come.

“We'll organise birthday celebrations for the old people … every three months, we would do one and bring the birthday boys and girls, and 'ah gongs' and 'ah mahs' (grand parents) together, so that we can celebrate together and enjoy together, amongst our own friends.

“And we’ll have a Silver Friends programme, to go and talk to the old people in their homes, chat with them, let them know what we're doing in the Active Ageing programme, and encourage them to come and participate with us.”


















No comments:

Post a Comment