Carol Ma

Unlocking the Power of Reminiscence and Its Development for Aged Care in Singapore

Carol Ma is a leading expert in Service-Learning (S-L) and Ageing in Asia, serving as Head & Associate Professor of Gerontology Programmes at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. She pioneered the service-learning curriculum in Hong Kong universities and successfully integrated it with the university's curriculum, making it a valuable academic experience in higher education in Hong Kong and the region. In Singapore, Carol also spearheads curriculum development, community engagement, and applied research in gerontology, advocating for transdisciplinary education to address ageing issues. She has led impactful projects, including the first geragogy guidelines in Singapore, innovative dementia care programmes, reminiscence facilitation programmes, and older adults' functional capacity under the WHO ICOPE framework, etc. She is an advisor for caregiver and eldercare services with the National Council of Social Services, a member of the Tote Board Community Health Fund (TBCHF) Evaluation Panel, and an advisor for the International Longevity Centre Singapore. Internationally, she is an advisor of Inclusive learning for the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning an academic board member for Uniservitate (A Global network of Catholic Higher Education Institutions to promote service-learning) and a technical expert for the WHO Clinical consortium on healthy ageing.

Dementia is an increasingly prevalent issue in Singapore, with one in ten people aged 60 and above affected. To manage the growing caregiving burden and promote well-being and brain health, reminiscence facilitation has emerged as an effective method for addressing cognitive decline and loneliness. This approach aligns with recent initiatives such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG, which emphasize preventative health. This presentation unlocks the power of reminiscence and shares the collaboration among Singapore in developing the first community oral history program for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. It also details how the program has evolved to partner with more community care organizations to train additional individuals as reminiscence facilitators to meet national needs.

Please find the recording of the lecture through this link.