In partnership with the DBS Foundation
SINGAPORE: Pan Bao-Chu, 76, feels both gratitude and guilt whenever she goes out with her friends.
Two decades after losing both legs in a traffic accident, every outing makes her feel like a burden to the friends who lift her, wheelchair and all, up stairs and across uneven paths.
“I’m a person who can’t put my feet on the ground,” she said. “My whole day is spent either in bed or in a wheelchair.”
But those feelings lifted for the first time in a long while, in Taiwan’s Yehliu Geopark, where she joined a tour group specially designed for mobility-challenged seniors.
“I was really happy,” she told CNA Insider. “(The tour) let me move around freely and comfortably. But when my friends take me out, … they even have to carry me on their backs. It’s very tiring for them.”
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Pan Bao-Chu taking in the sea views from Taiwan’s Yehliu Geopark.
Her joy proved infectious. “Sister Bao-Chu bought so many things to share with fellow group members and even with strangers,” said Jeff Hsu, the founder of DuoFu Holidays, the trip’s organisers.
“That gave the group (a good) atmosphere and created a ripple of joy.”
That ripple is what Hsu is striving for: To bring back adventure, purpose and connection to the lives of Taiwanese seniors with mobility or cognitive challenges — many of whom rarely leave their neighbourhoods, afraid of burdening their families.
Since DuoFu Holidays opened in 2016, it has crafted accessible travel experiences, both local and overseas, aimed at restoring dignity and delight to the elderly.
Jeff Hsu (left) helping seniors alight safely from their tour van.
Hsu and his team visit sites, consult with authorities and work with businesses to make travel inclusive, right down to sugar-free drinks and “soft sofa cushions” for folks who have, as Hsu put it, “lost the flesh on their buttocks”.
“To keep on living, they must have something to hope for,” Hsu said. “Travel has become that hope and the very centre of their lives.”
With one in five Taiwanese aged 65 or over, such a shift in mindset could not be timelier.
In Asia, populations such as Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and China are already considered aged, if not super-aged, societies. Others like India and Indonesia, while relatively younger, are still home to a huge number of seniors and on the cusp of facing this demographic trend.
WATCH: Changing Ageing In Asia (44:42)
44:42 Min
Across Asia, bold ideas are taking shape, creating innovative solutions that help seniors live well today, stay connected, and face the future with greater confidence and security.
Longer lives should not mean smaller worlds, and across the region, organisations like DuoFu prove that older adults can age meaningfully with the right support.
To further DuoFu’s mission, the DBS Foundation awarded it a grant in 2024, part of which will go towards subsidising tours for low-income seniors.
It was one of several businesses for impact recognised by the foundation for reimagining ageing. Here is how these changemakers are empowering communities in Asia to live fully at all ages:
In Hong Kong, about 35 per cent of seniors live alone or only with their spouse. But when illness strikes, staying at home is often no longer possible.
“We’d typically think it’s impossible to care for (ill seniors) at home, and believe the only option is to send (them) to a health institution,” said Katie Wong, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s chief officer for elderly service.
Katie Wong speaking to CNA Insider.
That belief is putting pressure on Hong Kong’s healthcare system. By 2050, over 40 per cent of residents will be 65 and older; by 2032, warns property agency JLL, the city may face a shortfall of 60,000 care home spaces.
People on the frontline are feeling it the most. In a 2023 survey on carer burnout, conducted by nursing care provider Evercare Health, around 30 per cent of more than 500 healthcare professionals were thinking of quitting their jobs.
Six in 10 said their hospitals or facilities were extremely short-staffed and getting worse.
As the pressure mounts, a new group of professional gig carers are emerging to fill the gaps in Hong Kong’s ecosystem of care.
Lisa Leung, a former medical beauty professional in her 50s, joined the healthcare field just over two years ago. After completing care support training, she signed up with Evercare, whose app connects 30,000 freelance carers with clients seeking in-home elderly care.
That is how she met Madam Fung, 80, who has dementia. Leung visits her thrice weekly, two hours at a time, offering hands-on care, companionship and practical advice.
“The stability over these two years has been very unexpected for me,” said Esther Lee, Fung’s daughter. “My relationship with my mother has naturally improved a lot.”
Evercare is one of four winners of the inaugural DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award and received S$500,000 (US$391,000) in funding. With that, it is working on growing its home care network and rolling out a client portal for app-based bookings.
Madam Fung and her carer, Lisa Leung, completing a simple exercise together.
But not every family is comfortable bringing carers into their homes.
In Shanghai, Huang Lan thought about hiring one for her mother, Ni Biyun, 86. “But first, (the carer) would have to move into my home, which would take up my mum’s private space,” she said. “(My mum) would feel uncomfortable.”
Most seniors in mainland China prefer to age at home. About 90 per cent of seniors live with family, 7 per cent are supported by community services and 3 per cent live in institutions. With smaller families and people living longer, however, that model is becoming harder to sustain.
Juggling work and caregiving has taken a toll on Huang, but putting her mother in a nursing home still carries a stigma.
Huang Lan with her mother, Ni Biyun.
“People have long associated nursing homes with welfare homes meant for the destitute or neglected (elders),” said Li Jia, deputy director of the Ageing Society Research Centre at the Pangoal Institution, a Beijing-based think-tank.
“(They feel nursing homes) run contrary to the ideals of filial piety and family.”
Distance is another deterrent. The nearest nursing home to where Huang and Ni live is too far for regular family visits.
That was until they found Seagull Comprehensive Elderly Service Centre, a hybrid medical and day care facility 10 minutes from home. Run by the Huakang Health Industry Group, it offers health checks and social activities for as little as 15 yuan (US$2.20) a day.
Ni (right) at the elderly service centre, with another senior engaging in handicraft.
Here, seniors are encouraged to make their own choices — from what to eat to how to spend their days. Meals are affordable and customisable at the community canteen; and weekday activities include handicraft and smartphone classes.
“Everyone here in the community is our neighbour, so my mum doesn’t feel that she’s among strangers,” Huang said.
Ni even volunteers at the centre by facilitating group activities for her peers. “After coming here, I felt it was so warm, so harmonious and so full of care,” she said. “I’ve found a second home for myself.”
Also a winner of the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award, Huakang plans to establish more elderly care centres and roll out new education and outreach initiatives for carers, backed by prize money of S$1 million from the foundation.
“I used to think ageing was something helpless,” said Wang Jing, a volunteer at Seagull Comprehensive Elderly Service Centre.
“But after working with these aunties, I’ve witnessed a different kind of retirement living. It’s made me look forward to my retirement with more hope.”
In India, one startup is already nurturing a new generation of professional geriatric carers — a crucial workforce for the country’s population of more than 150 million seniors, who largely prefer to age at home.
Many of these aspiring carers are young migrants from villages and small towns, drawn to cities in search of opportunity. Once hired, they are expected to adjust quickly to unfamiliar households and deliver efficient care.
“This job requires a tremendous emotional equilibrium,” said Ramakrishna Velamuri, the dean of Mahindra University’s School of Management. “To expect that from such young workers is quite unrealistic.”
That realisation inspired Anant Kumar and Priya Anant to leave their healthcare jobs and establish Life Circle Health Services, a Hyderabad-based eldercare company that equips trainees with practical and emotional skills.
Trainees attending a caregiving lesson at Life Circle’s training centre.
Students receive instruction in daily eldercare tasks alongside essential clinical training, from checking vital signs to recognising medical emergencies.
Focusing its outreach on states with large rural populations, Life Circle received 182 students, aged between 19 and 22, over a six-month period last year.
For these trainees, the programme is free: Tuition, food and lodging are all covered, removing barriers for those from low-income families.
One of them is Hemlata Parte, who left her village at 19. One year on, she is the carer for Vijaya Gupta, 75, a retiree with chronic joint pain whose family had long struggled to find reliable help.
Not just a maid’s work: Hemlata Parte with Vijaya Gupta.
“Giving medicine on time, bathing them, taking them for a walk — all these things were taught in the training, so I had experience (and) managed on my own,” said Parte.
She regards Gupta as a grandmother figure, while the latter trusts her “completely”. Said Gupta: “She even helps me go to the bathroom, holds my arm … and walks with me slowly.”
With S$500,000 in funding from the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award, Life Circle will be expanding from seven to 21 cities and training nearly 5,000 new carers over the coming years.
While India strengthens its caregiving workforce through training, Singapore is harnessing technology to ease the burden on those who are already providing care.
The Buddy of Parents (BOP) Button offers peace of mind when carers cannot be physically present. At the press of the button, social enterprise SG Assist’s call agents step in as first responders, armed with key medical information provided during registration.
“We go through very comprehensive training in soft skills,” call agent Lynne Solomon said. “We learnt active listening, … asking the right questions to get to the crux of the matter.”
Having a trained responder like Solomon on the line can make the difference not only in emergencies, but in allowing carers to stay employed.
In 2024, there were about 87,100 residents outside the labour force owing to caregiving, with 46 per cent aged below 50 and still in their prime.
The Buddy of Parents Button connects seniors to trained call agents when pressed.
“Caregivers and their loved ones aren’t obliged to be the first responder,” said Chen Jer Yaw, one of the BOP Button’s creators. “Buddy Of Parents will handle the emergency first and then notify the caregivers and the loved ones.”
For compere Heng Hui Mei, 29, who is caring for an uncle recovering from a stroke, that assurance means everything.
“I think about my uncle being on his own very often,” she shared. “But because I have the BOP Button, there’s less to worry about, and I can focus more on what I need to do in my day-to-day (work).”
Recognising its potential to transform care networks, the DBS Foundation awarded BOP, also a winner of the Impact Beyond Award, S$1 million to help expand its reach.
Heng Hui Mei’s uncle is often on his own in the provisions shop he runs.
Unlike many of its ageing neighbours, Indonesia has a relatively young population. Yet many young Indonesians are caught in the middle, caring for parents who have no pensions or social safety nets while raising families of their own.
With limited job security and modest incomes, many of them struggle not only to get by but also to save for their future.
Almost 60 per cent of Indonesian workers — mainly in rural areas — are in informal jobs, such as delivery and farm work. Pay is low and opportunities are also scarce.
“When the youth grow older, they aren’t financially protected because they don’t have the money (saved) when they were still of working age,” observed Pierre Bernando Ballo, a social policy officer at the Centre for Welfare Studies (The Prakarsa).
Manan Faizin, 28, understands the sandwich generation’s struggle all too well.
After moving from his small home town to the city, he worked under a one-year contract in a low-skilled job that paid minimum wage — barely enough to support his parents and save for his future.
That all changed when he discovered Komerce, a social enterprise that equips rural youth with skills for the modern economy.
Trainees learn digital marketing, e-commerce management and even livestreaming for online marketplaces, enabling them to find remote work without leaving behind their families.
Manan Faizin must provide for his young family of three and for his parents.
Manan signed up for training in Meta Ads. Soon after he completed the course, a client hired him to create digital campaigns for Meta, TikTok and Google.
“Before I worked in Komerce, my income was around 3 million to 4 million rupiah (US$169 to US$226),” he said. “After joining Komerce, Alhamdulillah (Arabic for praise be to God), I once earned as much as 54 million rupiah in a month.”
His higher income became a lifeline in 2021, when his mother needed emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. He also had the means to build a home for his family and begin saving for retirement.
“I don’t want to burden my child because … eventually, if she has her own family, she’ll definitely have to take care of them and of her responsibilities,” he said.
With his new digital skills, Manan earns up to 18 times his previous income.
By creating stable, future-ready careers for rural youth, Komerce is helping Indonesia’s sandwich generation break the cycle of dependence and build the financial security to age with dignity.
Komerce received funding from the DBS Foundation Grant Programme in 2020. It has since helped train more than 1,300 youths, formed partnerships with more than 750 small and medium-sized enterprises and facilitated the distribution of over US$750,000 in earnings to rural participants.
“If the village youth can gain job opportunities,” said Komerce founder Nofi Bayu Darmawan, “they can give (back) to their parents. … (And) they’ll have a bigger future.”
See how the DBS Foundation is powering innovative, purpose-driven businesses through its Impact Beyond Award and Grant Programme, in a shared goal of reimagining ageing in Asia. Visit: https://www.dbs.com/foundation/index.html
Continue reading...
SINGAPORE: Pan Bao-Chu, 76, feels both gratitude and guilt whenever she goes out with her friends.
Two decades after losing both legs in a traffic accident, every outing makes her feel like a burden to the friends who lift her, wheelchair and all, up stairs and across uneven paths.
“I’m a person who can’t put my feet on the ground,” she said. “My whole day is spent either in bed or in a wheelchair.”
But those feelings lifted for the first time in a long while, in Taiwan’s Yehliu Geopark, where she joined a tour group specially designed for mobility-challenged seniors.
“I was really happy,” she told CNA Insider. “(The tour) let me move around freely and comfortably. But when my friends take me out, … they even have to carry me on their backs. It’s very tiring for them.”
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
Pan Bao-Chu taking in the sea views from Taiwan’s Yehliu Geopark.
Her joy proved infectious. “Sister Bao-Chu bought so many things to share with fellow group members and even with strangers,” said Jeff Hsu, the founder of DuoFu Holidays, the trip’s organisers.
“That gave the group (a good) atmosphere and created a ripple of joy.”
That ripple is what Hsu is striving for: To bring back adventure, purpose and connection to the lives of Taiwanese seniors with mobility or cognitive challenges — many of whom rarely leave their neighbourhoods, afraid of burdening their families.
Since DuoFu Holidays opened in 2016, it has crafted accessible travel experiences, both local and overseas, aimed at restoring dignity and delight to the elderly.
Jeff Hsu (left) helping seniors alight safely from their tour van.
Hsu and his team visit sites, consult with authorities and work with businesses to make travel inclusive, right down to sugar-free drinks and “soft sofa cushions” for folks who have, as Hsu put it, “lost the flesh on their buttocks”.
“To keep on living, they must have something to hope for,” Hsu said. “Travel has become that hope and the very centre of their lives.”
With one in five Taiwanese aged 65 or over, such a shift in mindset could not be timelier.
In Asia, populations such as Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and China are already considered aged, if not super-aged, societies. Others like India and Indonesia, while relatively younger, are still home to a huge number of seniors and on the cusp of facing this demographic trend.
WATCH: Changing Ageing In Asia (44:42)
44:42 Min
Across Asia, bold ideas are taking shape, creating innovative solutions that help seniors live well today, stay connected, and face the future with greater confidence and security.
Longer lives should not mean smaller worlds, and across the region, organisations like DuoFu prove that older adults can age meaningfully with the right support.
To further DuoFu’s mission, the DBS Foundation awarded it a grant in 2024, part of which will go towards subsidising tours for low-income seniors.
It was one of several businesses for impact recognised by the foundation for reimagining ageing. Here is how these changemakers are empowering communities in Asia to live fully at all ages:
EASING INSTITUTIONAL CARE
In Hong Kong, about 35 per cent of seniors live alone or only with their spouse. But when illness strikes, staying at home is often no longer possible.
“We’d typically think it’s impossible to care for (ill seniors) at home, and believe the only option is to send (them) to a health institution,” said Katie Wong, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service’s chief officer for elderly service.
Katie Wong speaking to CNA Insider.
That belief is putting pressure on Hong Kong’s healthcare system. By 2050, over 40 per cent of residents will be 65 and older; by 2032, warns property agency JLL, the city may face a shortfall of 60,000 care home spaces.
People on the frontline are feeling it the most. In a 2023 survey on carer burnout, conducted by nursing care provider Evercare Health, around 30 per cent of more than 500 healthcare professionals were thinking of quitting their jobs.
Six in 10 said their hospitals or facilities were extremely short-staffed and getting worse.
As the pressure mounts, a new group of professional gig carers are emerging to fill the gaps in Hong Kong’s ecosystem of care.
Related stories:
Lisa Leung, a former medical beauty professional in her 50s, joined the healthcare field just over two years ago. After completing care support training, she signed up with Evercare, whose app connects 30,000 freelance carers with clients seeking in-home elderly care.
That is how she met Madam Fung, 80, who has dementia. Leung visits her thrice weekly, two hours at a time, offering hands-on care, companionship and practical advice.
“The stability over these two years has been very unexpected for me,” said Esther Lee, Fung’s daughter. “My relationship with my mother has naturally improved a lot.”
Evercare is one of four winners of the inaugural DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award and received S$500,000 (US$391,000) in funding. With that, it is working on growing its home care network and rolling out a client portal for app-based bookings.
Madam Fung and her carer, Lisa Leung, completing a simple exercise together.
But not every family is comfortable bringing carers into their homes.
In Shanghai, Huang Lan thought about hiring one for her mother, Ni Biyun, 86. “But first, (the carer) would have to move into my home, which would take up my mum’s private space,” she said. “(My mum) would feel uncomfortable.”
Most seniors in mainland China prefer to age at home. About 90 per cent of seniors live with family, 7 per cent are supported by community services and 3 per cent live in institutions. With smaller families and people living longer, however, that model is becoming harder to sustain.
Juggling work and caregiving has taken a toll on Huang, but putting her mother in a nursing home still carries a stigma.
Huang Lan with her mother, Ni Biyun.
“People have long associated nursing homes with welfare homes meant for the destitute or neglected (elders),” said Li Jia, deputy director of the Ageing Society Research Centre at the Pangoal Institution, a Beijing-based think-tank.
“(They feel nursing homes) run contrary to the ideals of filial piety and family.”
Distance is another deterrent. The nearest nursing home to where Huang and Ni live is too far for regular family visits.
That was until they found Seagull Comprehensive Elderly Service Centre, a hybrid medical and day care facility 10 minutes from home. Run by the Huakang Health Industry Group, it offers health checks and social activities for as little as 15 yuan (US$2.20) a day.
Ni (right) at the elderly service centre, with another senior engaging in handicraft.
Here, seniors are encouraged to make their own choices — from what to eat to how to spend their days. Meals are affordable and customisable at the community canteen; and weekday activities include handicraft and smartphone classes.
“Everyone here in the community is our neighbour, so my mum doesn’t feel that she’s among strangers,” Huang said.
Ni even volunteers at the centre by facilitating group activities for her peers. “After coming here, I felt it was so warm, so harmonious and so full of care,” she said. “I’ve found a second home for myself.”
Also a winner of the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award, Huakang plans to establish more elderly care centres and roll out new education and outreach initiatives for carers, backed by prize money of S$1 million from the foundation.
Related stories:
“I used to think ageing was something helpless,” said Wang Jing, a volunteer at Seagull Comprehensive Elderly Service Centre.
“But after working with these aunties, I’ve witnessed a different kind of retirement living. It’s made me look forward to my retirement with more hope.”
EQUIPPING CARERS BETTER
In India, one startup is already nurturing a new generation of professional geriatric carers — a crucial workforce for the country’s population of more than 150 million seniors, who largely prefer to age at home.
Many of these aspiring carers are young migrants from villages and small towns, drawn to cities in search of opportunity. Once hired, they are expected to adjust quickly to unfamiliar households and deliver efficient care.
“This job requires a tremendous emotional equilibrium,” said Ramakrishna Velamuri, the dean of Mahindra University’s School of Management. “To expect that from such young workers is quite unrealistic.”
That realisation inspired Anant Kumar and Priya Anant to leave their healthcare jobs and establish Life Circle Health Services, a Hyderabad-based eldercare company that equips trainees with practical and emotional skills.
Trainees attending a caregiving lesson at Life Circle’s training centre.
Students receive instruction in daily eldercare tasks alongside essential clinical training, from checking vital signs to recognising medical emergencies.
Focusing its outreach on states with large rural populations, Life Circle received 182 students, aged between 19 and 22, over a six-month period last year.
For these trainees, the programme is free: Tuition, food and lodging are all covered, removing barriers for those from low-income families.
One of them is Hemlata Parte, who left her village at 19. One year on, she is the carer for Vijaya Gupta, 75, a retiree with chronic joint pain whose family had long struggled to find reliable help.
Not just a maid’s work: Hemlata Parte with Vijaya Gupta.
“Giving medicine on time, bathing them, taking them for a walk — all these things were taught in the training, so I had experience (and) managed on my own,” said Parte.
She regards Gupta as a grandmother figure, while the latter trusts her “completely”. Said Gupta: “She even helps me go to the bathroom, holds my arm … and walks with me slowly.”
With S$500,000 in funding from the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award, Life Circle will be expanding from seven to 21 cities and training nearly 5,000 new carers over the coming years.
While India strengthens its caregiving workforce through training, Singapore is harnessing technology to ease the burden on those who are already providing care.
Related articles:
The Buddy of Parents (BOP) Button offers peace of mind when carers cannot be physically present. At the press of the button, social enterprise SG Assist’s call agents step in as first responders, armed with key medical information provided during registration.
“We go through very comprehensive training in soft skills,” call agent Lynne Solomon said. “We learnt active listening, … asking the right questions to get to the crux of the matter.”
Having a trained responder like Solomon on the line can make the difference not only in emergencies, but in allowing carers to stay employed.
In 2024, there were about 87,100 residents outside the labour force owing to caregiving, with 46 per cent aged below 50 and still in their prime.
The Buddy of Parents Button connects seniors to trained call agents when pressed.
“Caregivers and their loved ones aren’t obliged to be the first responder,” said Chen Jer Yaw, one of the BOP Button’s creators. “Buddy Of Parents will handle the emergency first and then notify the caregivers and the loved ones.”
For compere Heng Hui Mei, 29, who is caring for an uncle recovering from a stroke, that assurance means everything.
“I think about my uncle being on his own very often,” she shared. “But because I have the BOP Button, there’s less to worry about, and I can focus more on what I need to do in my day-to-day (work).”
Recognising its potential to transform care networks, the DBS Foundation awarded BOP, also a winner of the Impact Beyond Award, S$1 million to help expand its reach.
Heng Hui Mei’s uncle is often on his own in the provisions shop he runs.
FUTURE-PROOFING THE SENIORS TO COME
Unlike many of its ageing neighbours, Indonesia has a relatively young population. Yet many young Indonesians are caught in the middle, caring for parents who have no pensions or social safety nets while raising families of their own.
With limited job security and modest incomes, many of them struggle not only to get by but also to save for their future.
Almost 60 per cent of Indonesian workers — mainly in rural areas — are in informal jobs, such as delivery and farm work. Pay is low and opportunities are also scarce.
“When the youth grow older, they aren’t financially protected because they don’t have the money (saved) when they were still of working age,” observed Pierre Bernando Ballo, a social policy officer at the Centre for Welfare Studies (The Prakarsa).
Related stories:
Manan Faizin, 28, understands the sandwich generation’s struggle all too well.
After moving from his small home town to the city, he worked under a one-year contract in a low-skilled job that paid minimum wage — barely enough to support his parents and save for his future.
That all changed when he discovered Komerce, a social enterprise that equips rural youth with skills for the modern economy.
Trainees learn digital marketing, e-commerce management and even livestreaming for online marketplaces, enabling them to find remote work without leaving behind their families.
Manan Faizin must provide for his young family of three and for his parents.
Manan signed up for training in Meta Ads. Soon after he completed the course, a client hired him to create digital campaigns for Meta, TikTok and Google.
“Before I worked in Komerce, my income was around 3 million to 4 million rupiah (US$169 to US$226),” he said. “After joining Komerce, Alhamdulillah (Arabic for praise be to God), I once earned as much as 54 million rupiah in a month.”
His higher income became a lifeline in 2021, when his mother needed emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. He also had the means to build a home for his family and begin saving for retirement.
“I don’t want to burden my child because … eventually, if she has her own family, she’ll definitely have to take care of them and of her responsibilities,” he said.
With his new digital skills, Manan earns up to 18 times his previous income.
By creating stable, future-ready careers for rural youth, Komerce is helping Indonesia’s sandwich generation break the cycle of dependence and build the financial security to age with dignity.
Komerce received funding from the DBS Foundation Grant Programme in 2020. It has since helped train more than 1,300 youths, formed partnerships with more than 750 small and medium-sized enterprises and facilitated the distribution of over US$750,000 in earnings to rural participants.
“If the village youth can gain job opportunities,” said Komerce founder Nofi Bayu Darmawan, “they can give (back) to their parents. … (And) they’ll have a bigger future.”
See how the DBS Foundation is powering innovative, purpose-driven businesses through its Impact Beyond Award and Grant Programme, in a shared goal of reimagining ageing in Asia. Visit: https://www.dbs.com/foundation/index.html
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