Post selfies sporting silver hair to promote ageing gracefully

NUS students from Project SilverCare, Chang Ting Yu (left) and Lim Yi Ter holding up a #GoSilverSG wefie. PHOTO: ST LUKE'S HOSPITAL

SINGAPORE - During a telescreening that assesses seniors' health, pharmacy student Lim Yi Ter talked with an elderly woman for more than an hour. He left the call inspired to promote graceful ageing.

"She was very enthusiastic about our screening programme and sharing her efforts to continue living a fulfilling life, in spite of growing old amid pandemic restrictions," recalls the 22-year-old.

"I was encouraged by her attitude towards healthy ageing."

The telescreening was part of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Project SilverCare, which aims to help the older generation overcome biological, psychological and social barriers to healthy ageing.

The three-pronged programme - involving screening, home visits and referral programmes for the elderly -is jointly organised by students from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, including the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, and the NUS Department of Pharmacy.

This month, Project SilverCare will be supporting St Luke's Hospital's #GoSilverSG social media campaign, where participants post selfies taken with a "silver hair" filter to preview how they will look as seniors.

The movement's mission is to normalise and celebrate ageing while raising funds for the charity hospital.

"The GoSilver campaign aligns closely with what our project does," says Mr Lim.

After last year's successful run of #GoSilverSG, which garnered support from not only NUS students, but also other schools such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic and organisations like the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, this year's iteration goes a step further to invite participants to connect or reconnect with the elderly in their lives.

Besides spreading awareness through selfies, which mainly targets the younger generation of social media users, this year's movement encourages participants to invite seniors to join the campaign with them.

It aims to spark intergenerational conversations, giving elders a peek into the world of social media and allowing young and old to learn from each other.

Project SilverCare chairman Chang Ting Yu says: "I think one of the misconceptions that I always hear from my peers is how ageing makes you slower. But what people often overlook is the fact that these elders are more experienced than we are. Having lived through more than we have, the silver generation can teach us more about things we don't know."

The 22-year-old medicine student adds that her experience volunteering with SilverHomes - the programme's befriending and home visit initiative - helped her realise how important these connections are to elders.

She says: "We were trying to encourage a woman to exercise more. We tried a lot of things, like asking her to follow online videos or learn some dancing and stretching."

Their efforts were fruitless for a few months - until last month, when they were pleasantly surprised to hear she had picked up aerobic exercises in a swimming pool, which had been introduced to her by her cousin.

Participants post selfies taken with a "silver hair" filter to preview how they will look as seniors. PHOTO: ST LUKE'S HOSPITAL

Ms Chang says: "I thought that this story really showed how a support system is crucial in promoting active ageing. We've been trying so hard to get her to exercise, but ultimately, her main motivation was to be able to do it with a cousin."

Thus, the #GoSilverSG campaign this year is aimed at both the older and younger generations to dispel ageing's negative associations and create a stronger support system for those in their silver years.

Ms Chang adds: "The younger generation can take the initiative to understand the older generation better and support them in ageing. I think that more interaction between the younger and older is important."

The project runs till July 31. Participants can support the campaign by posting a silver-haired selfie, donating at this website or starting a fund-raiser here.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.