新加坡社会及家庭发展部长兼卫生部第二部长，主管回教事务部长马善高，回答议员叶汉荣有关全国乐龄学苑和护理院等候时间的问题。
以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：
叶汉荣先生：谢谢。我要问的问题是针对第二部长的。听说社区为帮助老年人健康老化做了不少事情，我感到很欣慰。我有两个问题。第一个是关于全国乐龄学苑（National Silver Academy，NSA）。它提供了很多老年人学习的好课程，但是实际上老年人对这些课程的了解和参与还不够广泛。我们应该怎样提高老年人对这些课程的了解和参与呢？
第二个问题是，我注意到入住护理院的等待时间大约是一个月。部长提到了有临时护理选项可供选择。那么，这些选项是什么？照顾者如何才能获得这些选项的信息？
主席：马善高部长。
卫生部第二部长 马善高先生：全国乐龄学苑举办的课程非常受欢迎。事实上，2020年有10万个名额被使用，到了2023年增加了一倍。负责管理这个计划的是活跃乐龄理事会。我们会和他们合作，采取一些措施，比如利用社交媒体、展览、社区活动等方式，进一步宣传这些课程。另外，我们还会参加一些大型的活动，比如每年的长者庆祝活动，以提高老年人对这些课程的了解。
至于护理院的等待时间，我们有一些临时解决方案，尤其是对那些在公立医院身体状况稳定的人。他们可以转到过渡护理设施，同时等待护理院有空位。每家医院都有一个 AIC Link，提供短期和长期护理安排的建议。我希望照顾者能够去这些中心了解更多信息。
以下是英文质询内容：
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you. My clarifications are for the Second Minister. I am heartened to hear that there are many initiatives to help our seniors age well in the community. I have two clarifications. First is on the National Silver Academy (NSA), which offers many useful courses for learning for seniors. However, awareness of the courses and training are still quite spotty on the ground. So, how can we improve awareness and take-up rate amongst our seniors for these courses?
Second, I am glad to note that the waiting time for nursing homes is about one month. Minister mentioned that there are interim care options for those who are on the waitlist. Can he share what are these options and how can caregivers get access to these options?
The Chairman: Minister Masagos.
The Second Minister for Health (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): I would like to say that the courses run by the NSA is doing very well. In fact, 100,000 places were taken up in FY2020 and it has doubled in 2023. The agency, or the body, that runs and takes care of this programme is the Council for Third Age and we will work with them, as suggested by the Member, to increase even more awareness about the programmes. They will do this through the usual publicity channels like social media, roadshows, community touchpoints, partnership events. For example, even the annual National Celebration of Seniors events will be one marquee event, where they will be present and to bring up the awareness of the availability of all these programmes that our seniors can meet their aspirations and their interests.
On the waiting time for nursing home, while waiting for placement at nursing home, there are ways which we can help our patients – particularly those, for example, who are medically stable in our public hospitals. They can be referred to the transitional care facilities. There, they can work out the longer-term arrangements while waiting for a nursing home to be available if they are not. There is one touchpoint in every hospital, which is the AIC Link. In nine hospitals, they are available and I hope that residents or caregivers of these patients can go and meet up with the staff at these centres, where they can provide both plans for short-term post discharge, as well as the longer-term needs of their parents or the people they are caring for.
新加坡国会丨来源
新加坡国会丨图源
