PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED TILL 11 MARCH 2017, 2.30PM

Neighbours for Active Living Programme Expands to Entire South East District Mountbatten to be included; programme gets boost via corporate engagement with Standard Chartered Bank

Singapore, 11 March 2017 – The Neighbours for Active Living (“Neighbours”) programme, pioneered by the Eastern Health Alliance (EHA) and South East Community Development Council (CDC), will expand to cover the entire South East District with the inclusion of Mountbatten. The programme is also being strengthened through corporate engagement with funding by Standard Chartered Bank.

”Neighbours” was launched in 2013. It combines a team of about 50 staff with health and social care expertise with the Friend-A-Senior @ South East volunteer programme to care for elderly clients with multiple admissions. The volunteers live in the same neighbourhoods as the clients that they support. This enables the forging of long-term relationships that enable elderly residents to stay as healthy as possible where they live.

The expansion of the “Neighbours” Friend-A-Senior @ South East programme into Mountbatten will allow more residents to benefit from the programme. Twenty volunteers living in the area will be trained in communication and befriending skills for a start. The volunteers will subsequently be matched to clients. The volunteers will provide social support and assist with simple but important tasks, such as reminding clients to take their medications and attend medical appointments.

A study of 2,540 clients who were recruited from 2013 to 2016 showed that over six months that the clients were in the programme, “Neighbours” reduced clients’ hospital admissions by 55 per cent from 2.2 to 1.0 admissions, and shortened the average length of hospital stays by more than 40 per cent, from 7.1 days to 4.1 days.

“Many ‘Neighbours’ clients are vulnerable, elderly persons with complex medical and social care needs, and have frequent admission to hospital. The positive impact that the programme has made on their care demonstrates the important partnership between the Regional Health System and members of the community in helping seniors age in place gracefully. I am heartened that the programme is building on last year’s expansion to Macpherson and Braddell Heights to cover the entire South East district with the inclusion of Mountbatten,” said Dr Lee Chien Earn, Group Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Health Alliance.

“Neighbours” clients in the South East district are supported by volunteers from the South East CDC Friend-A-Senior @ South East programme. Since 2013 more than 450 volunteers have been trained, and more than 4,500 clients have enrolled in the programme. There are 210 volunteers currently matched with vulnerable elderly living in their neighbourhoods. The programme is run by more than 50 full-time staff from EHA serving 18 communities in eastern .

PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED TILL 11 MARCH 2017, 2.30PM

Corporate Engagement Growing in Importance As Singapore’s population ages and the need for strong social support grows, corporate entities will become increasingly important in nurturing and growing programmes that reach out to vulnerable members of society. These corporate partners also play a vital role in encouraging their members to participate more actively in serving the needs of the community. The Friend-A-Senior @ South East programme will receive a boost with funding of S$240,000 over three years by Standard Chartered Bank. The funds will be used for skills training development such as communicating and understanding the needs of seniors, as well as the recruitment of more volunteers under the Friend- A-Senior @ South East programme, as the programme expands to reach out to more elderly in the community.

In addition, 180 Standard Chartered employees will be trained as befrienders under the Friend-A- Senior @ South East programme over the next three years. They will then be matched with elderly or vulnerable clients supported through ‘Neighbours’.

“Everyone has a part to play in the community, from individuals to corporate entities. We are pleased that Standard Chartered Bank has come forward to support our work with the elderly through the Friend-A-Senior @ South East programme. South East CDC feels strongly that our corporate partners can join us in taking ownership of emerging issues within the community. We thank Standard Chartered Bank for joining us on this journey to reach out and serve the needs of the vulnerable elderly in our community. It strengthens our community spirit of gotong-royong, with the hope of inspiring more individuals and other corporates to follow suit,” said Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Mayor for the South East District.

“Helping the Singapore elderly is a community cause that is close to the Bank’s heart. Beyond corporate philanthropy, we also encourage our employees to volunteer their time and passion to help the less fortunate. In 2012, we launched Silver Lining, a project aimed at addressing issues faced by our rapidly ageing population. Over the past five years, 5,000 Bank employees have participated in various projects that have touched the lives of over 8,000 seniors. We are pleased to strengthen our outreach to the elderly through our partnership with South East CDC for the meaningful Friend-A-Senior volunteer programme in the coming three years, and look forward to contributing both through funding and volunteerism,” said Ms Judy Hsu, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Singapore.

For media queries, please contact the following: Jean Angus Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs, Eastern Health Alliance DID: 6850 2735 / Mobile: 9797 7075 E-Mail: [email protected]

Claire Koh Manager, Organisation Excellence, South East Community Development Council DID: 6319 8712 / Mobile: 96957630 Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED TILL 11 MARCH 2017, 2.30PM

About the ‘Neighbours for Active Living’ programme

The Neighbours for Active Living programme was set up by the Eastern Health Alliance in partnership with the South East Community Development Council. It supports residents with high medical and social needs who are living in the east. Started in July 2013 with pilot in Bedok and Siglap, it has since fully expanded its coverage in the eastern region.

This novel programme combines social and practical assistance with specific healthcare expertise to reduce relapses and complications. Through a full-time Community Care team from Eastern Health Alliance and trained volunteers to provide support for frail elderly residents’ medical and social needs, the programme aims to reduce re-hospitalisation rates and facilitate aging within the community.

About Eastern Health Alliance

The Eastern Health Alliance is the regional health system for eastern Singapore. It is a partnership of health service providers dedicated to delivering, through their combined expertise, the right quality care at the right time for each patient. The Eastern Health Alliance coordinates an integrated range of healthcare services, from disease prevention, treatment, through to ongoing care. The Foundation Partners of the Eastern Health Alliance are , Health Promotion Board, St. Andrew's Community Hospital, SingHealth Polyclinics and The Salvation Army Peacehaven Nursing Home.

For more information, please visit www.easternhealth.sg.

About South East Community Development Council

South East CDC was set up on 24 November 2001. It oversees the Marine Parade Group Representative Constituency (GRC), East Coast GRC, Fengshan Single Member Constituency (SMC), Mountbatten SMC and MacPherson SMC, and serves a population of about half a million residents. At the helm of South East CDC is Mayor Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, who steers efforts in achieving the three strategic thrusts that guide the work of the CDCs. Termed the “ABCs of Community Bonding‟ — Assisting the Needy, Bonding the People and Connecting the Community — South East CDC initiates and manages programmes in collaboration with both community and corporate partners along these three strategic thrusts, so as to nurture a vibrant and self-reliant community.

For more information on South East CDC, visit www.cdc.org.sg/SouthEast or be our Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/secdc.