Modern Aging Talks: Older Women, Health, and Lifelong Learning

Join ACCESS Health Singapore on Saturday, January 30, from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, for the first Modern Aging talk of 2016. The event is free and open to anyone interested in the business of aging.

Jointly organized by Modern Aging Singapore and SIM University, the talk will feature two expert speakers who will share their perspectives on gender issues in aging and lifelong learning. Professor Kalyani Mehta, head of the Gerontology program at SIM University, has many years of research experience in this domain. Dr. Helen Ko, executive director of BeyondAge, is a trainer and educator in how the elderly learn. The talk promises to be relevant to all, not only women.

This talk marks the start of the calendar year of events for Modern Aging Singapore 2016. This year, Modern Aging will expand in scope and duration. We will refresh and reopen the Modern Aging online learning portal next month. Through this portal, Modern Aging participants will be able to access free, exclusive lectures by local and regional healthcare and business experts.

To RSVP for the Modern Aging Talk on “Older Women, Health, and Lifelong Learning,” visit www.meetup.com/Modern-Aging. The workshop will take place at SIM University Block B, Seminar Room 5.07, 461 Clementi Road, Singapore 599491.

About the Speakers

Professor Kalyani Mehta

Associate Professor Kalyani Mehta is head of the Gerontology program at SIM University. Most of her research is conducted in Singapore, and she has extensive knowledge of the Asia Pacific region. Her numerous publications include four coauthored books: Giving Up Hope, Gerontological Counselling: An Introductory Handbook, Understanding and Counselling Older Persons, and Ageing in Singapore: Service Needs and the State. Professor Mehta has edited six books and published more than forty papers in international journals on social gerontology and social work. She was a Nominated Member of Singapore Parliament (NMP) from 2007 to 2009. During her term, she spoke on aging policies and services. Her research interests are grandparenting, family caregiving, spirituality, social policies related to seniors and their caregivers, and integrated healthcare planning for an aging population. Professor Mehta is currently a member of the management board of the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA) and the Hindu Advisory Board. In the region, she is an advisor to the Asia Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Dr. Helen Ko

Dr. Helen Ko is the founding and executive director of BeyondAge Pte. Ltd. She has held key appointments as chief executive officer, executive director, and advisor at several nonprofit organizations, including St Luke’s ElderCare and SAGE Counselling Centre. Over the past few decades, she has pioneered a number of programs for seniors. These programs include gerontological counseling, care management, day care for seniors, and seniors’ employability programs. Dr. Ko has taught and currently teaches at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and other tertiary institutions. She has conducted aging research in areas such as counseling and training approaches for seniors within the Asian context and the aging workforce. Dr. Ko is author of Counselling Older Adults: An Asian Perspective and coauthor of several other books. All of her books are and have been used as key texts for courses at universities and training institutions. She has published numerous articles in scientific journals.

Dr. Ko received further training in gerontology at Harvard University and the Institute of Population Ageing at Oxford University. She has served on national committees, including the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Ageing Population. Currently, she serves on the boards of Council for Third Age, St Luke’s Hospital, and another international nongovernmental organization.

This event is part of the Modern Aging Singapore program. Modern Aging Singapore is an accelerator designed to help create new businesses that meet the needs of an aging population. Modern Aging combines online learning, focused workshops, and industry mentoring. Participants in the program will gain in depth knowledge of the field, along with targeted and comprehensive support to help bring innovations to the market. Find out more, or sign up for Modern Aging, at www.modernaging.org.