SINGAPORE – A group of people huddled around a pinball machine, cheering as one man furiously jabbed the buttons on the machine to keep the ball in play.
But this was not a scene at an arcade, and the crowd was not made up of young students.
Instead, it took place at a new active ageing centre (AAC) at Block 631 Jurong West Street 65 in Boon Lay on Jan 3, and most of the onlookers and players were aged around 60 and older.
Playing the pinball machine is one of several activities residents can do in the arcade space of the new centre.
On Jan 3, Education Minister Desmond Lee and Senior Minister of State for Education and Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary were joined by some 300 residents, volunteers and partners at the official opening of PCF Sparkle Care @ Boon Lay.
Mr Lee said that as Singapore is going to be a
super-aged society in 2026,
more needs to be done for seniors.
A country becomes a super-aged society when 21 per cent of its population exceeds the age of 65, as defined by the United Nations. Come 2030, a quarter of Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, up from one in around six currently.
At the Boon Lay facility, seniors can look forward to free eggs for breakfast, a cafe with free coffee and tea, and a comfortable space to play darts, or even video games on Nintendo Switch – all within the 4,843 sq ft facility.
Mr Lee, who is an MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC, said more than 400 residents have signed up as members there.
