COVID-19 Resources for Older People

Take a holistic approach to stay in tip-top condition:

• Stay physically active and exercise regularly.
• Stay on top of your chronic conditions (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes).
• Eat well.
• Keep in touch with your friends and family.
• Continue with your hobbies or even pick up a new one.
• Focus on things in your control. Use trusted sources for news.

If you start to feel overwhelmed, try a simple breathing exercise:

1. Sit or lie down comfortably.
2. Take in a deep breath and hold it.
3. Count slowly to five as you breathe out.
4. Continue for 3 - 5 times. 😊

Exercising with resistance bands can help to maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance. Older people are recommended to perform resistance exercises 2 times a week, repeating 10–12 times for each major muscle group. You can use a filled water bottle for the upper limb exercises if you do not have a resistance band.

• Sit upright in a steady chair, preferably with arm rests, when performing the exercises.
• Do not hold your breath when performing the exercises.
• If any of the exercises causes pain, stop and rest. Consult the doctor or physiotherapist.

• Wear appropriate footwear (avoid slippers) and make sure they fit well.
• Do not neglect foot care:
  • Wash feet daily.
  • Use a towel to dry between web spaces after showering.
  • Moisturise feet daily, avoiding the web spaces.
  • Change socks or stockings daily.
  • Trim nails straight across.
  • Use a callus file or pumice after showering to reduce thick build-up of callus.
  • Do daily foot checks using a mirror.

• Have good lighting (at least 100W bulb).
• Keep passageways clutter-free.
• Use firm chairs that are knee-height or higher to facilitate standing.

• Use a firm bed or chair that is knee-height or higher to facilitate standing.
• Fix bedrails.
• Put commonly used items within reach.
• Install night lights.

• Install raised toilet seat and grab bars.
• Keep floor dry and use anti-slip flooring.
• Keep lights on at night.

• Hold onto handrails when using the stairs.
• Apply coloured or textured adhesive tape to edges of stairs to improve visibility.

• Have small, frequent meals.
• Eat nourishing snacks between meals (e.g. soft-boiled eggs with bread, yoghurt, red/green bean soup or pulut hitam).
• Choose nourishing fluids instead of water (e.g. milk, soy milk, tea, coffee with milk or barley water).
• Fortify foods with healthy oils/spreads (e.g. fry with or add sesame/canola oil to meals or add thick spreads of peanut butter/margarine).
• Take soft/chopped/blended foods for easier chewing and swallowing if necessary.
• Use herbs, spices and natural seasonings to enhance taste.

A collection of posters, videos and links about COVID-19 and available support resources.

• Staying at Home
  • Mandarin
  • Cantonese
  • Hokkien
• Banding Together against the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
  • Mandarin
  • Hakka
  • Hainanese
  • Cantonese and Hokkien
  • Tamil
• Protecting Yourself from the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
  • Malay
  • Cantonese
  • Hokkien
  • Teochew

A specially curated list of tips and resources in English for people with dementia and their caregivers during the pandemic and circuit breaker by Alzheimer's Disease Association (Singapore).

Initiatives developed by C3A to keep older adults active. Sign up for the SMILE pack to receive positive messages and uplifting music, and be notified of upcoming activities and latest updates twice a week. You can also attend National Silver Academy e-Nuggets Series, which is a series of live talks on Facebook every Tuesday and Friday at 2pm.

Keep a lookout for these television programmes. They are also available on demand on http://mewatch.sg.

• Home Together

• 健康那些事 全民来防疫 Get Fit With Me - Overcome COVID-19
• 乐学每疫刻 Learn Together With Me
• 歌台直播秀 E Getai

• Ayuh Sihat Bersama S3
• Sihat Oh Sihat

• Arokiam Aarambam - Get Fit With Me - Overcome COVID-19

Health Promotion Board (HPB) Exercise Programmes

A 30-minute exercise demonstration video suitable for older people by HPB in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.

• English
• Mandarin
• Malay
• Tamil

Chair Exercises

7 easy chair exercises suitable for older people: Step-by-step guide with pictures in English.

Sit-Down Exercises

7 easy sit-down exercises suitable for older people in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.

Anytime, Anywhere Workout

A series of 30-minute exercise videos in English and Mandarin including low-impact aerobics, strength and balance, stretch and tone exercises.

AWWA Sessions

A set of preventative exercises specially designed for older adults that aims to keep both the mind and body active. This link contains a sign-up form for virtual weekly sessions run by AWWA in May 2020.

Main Page

Various ActiveSG workouts for masters and older people in English and Mandarin. Includes chair workouts, umbrella workouts and towel workouts.

GoodLife! Workout

A 3-minute video with easy-to-follow exercises and no equipment needed. Can be done seated or standing.

AIC Wellness Programme

Activity Booklet

16 fun arts-based activities and puzzles in English and Mandarin for older adults to do at home. The activities are also paired with key COVID-19 related information to keep everyone safe.

Arts, Ageing and Wellbeing Toolkit

8 arts-based activities in English designed for a wide range of older adults.

SPARKS! Art for Wellness Toolkit

The English art activities in this toolkit were developed as part of the Community Care sector's inaugural Arts Residency, a joint initiative by AIC and the National Arts Council. The Residency paired 10 artists with nine nursing homes across Singapore. Activities in the toolkit are intended for frail older adults and offer opportunities for simplification or to meaningfully challenge participants.

Songs from the 1960s

A compiled list of Mandarin, English and Malay songs from the 1960s. List includes links to soundtracks on Spotify.

SilverActivities

Digital one-to-one cognitive activities in English, Mandarin and Malay customised for Singapore’s context. Developed specially for older people to reduce social isolation and encourage engagement. Requires email address registration to unlock free use.

AIC Dementia Toolkit

Developed by AIC for care providers of people with dementia. Includes examples of cognitive activities in English to engage people with dementia at home.

Health Promotion Board (HPB)

Dietary Guidelines

General advice from HPB in English on dietary requirements and nutritional advice for older adults.

Cooking Videos

Videos about cooking right and eating smart for healthy ageing in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.

Nutritional Guide

Easy-to-follow instructions in English to enable healthy ageing and ensure adequate nutritional intake for older adults.

Recipe Book

Simple healthy recipes in English by HPB for the whole family.

AIC Recipe Book

50 mouth-watering heritage recipes with nutritional information in English, put together in collaboration with Chef Eric Teo.

• Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine
• Department of Rehabilitation
• Department of Dietetics

We would love to hear from you!

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The information provided in this publication is meant purely for educational purposes and may not be used as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should seek the advice of your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before starting any treatment or if you have any questions related to your health, physical fitness or medical conditions.

Information is correct as of May 2020 and subject to revision without prior notice.