MSIG Singapore supports elderly welfare with research grants

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation (MSIWF) has announced research grants which aim to advance the elderly’s welfare, empower their caregivers, and improve community support for seniors.

The 12th MSIWF Research Grant Awards ceremony held in Sentosa, which coincided with the Singapore government’s push to boost support for elderly care in the country, awarded a total of SG$39,080 to four separate researchers. The awardees were selected out of 205 applications from across Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.

The awardees were:

• Ang Xing Yee Amberyce, PhD (gerontology) student at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), for her research on community support for dementia care in Singapore.
• Elisa Marie Crombie, graduate student at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), for her research into understanding the role of muscle stem cells in age-related muscle wasting (sarcopenia).
• Dr Ravindran Kanesvaran, senior consultant, Division of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), for his research into optimising cancer care for elderly patients through the development of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) programme.
• Dr Wong Seng Mun, principal speech therapist at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), for her research into the development of an automatic beverage thickening device for the elderly with swallowing impairments (dysphagia), which encourages independent living for the elderly, and saving time for healthcare workers, elderly patients and their caregivers.

“According to the health ministry, by the year 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be over the age of 65,” said Michael Gourlay, CEO of MSIG Singapore. “This new reality will present fresh challenges to individuals, families and communities, and caregivers to the elderly will play an increasingly important role in society. Through the foundation, we’re happy to be able to support and advance research in better supporting these caregivers and caring for our rapidly ageing population, as we continue to serve the communities around us.”