Background
Our society is greying rapidly. It is estimated that by 2030, nearly one in four persons in Singapore will be aged 65 years and above - rising from 480,000 in 2016 to 960,000.
Ageing is frequently associated with the loss of physical prowess and the onset of chronic illness. These are often accompanied by emotional distress, which in turn relates to physical isolation, relationship difficulties, end-of-life issues, and perhaps even elderly suicide.
Concurrently, family size in Singapore is shrinking, with low birth rates and fewer family members caring for their loved ones. And with more women entering the labour force, the traditional providers of eldercare face mounting pressures.
How we started
Given these emerging trends, O'Joy Care Services was founded in early 2004 by a group of social workers and professional counsellors to address the need for prevention and early intervention in case of mental health disorders and to promote healthy ageing among older persons.
“O’Joy” refers to "Oceans of Joy". We hope to enable this through our services and programmes.
We provide a safe environment where our pool of professionally-trained counsellors can counsel the older person aged 50 and above, or any individuals who have issues with an older person regarding issues such as relationship issues, grief and loss, and caregiver stress. These services, which are in English, Mandarin, Malay, and local dialects, are provided at our centre or in the comforts of their homes.
Today
Over the years, we have grown from a charity providing counselling & casework services for older persons to mental health care, community wellness and having a social enterprise.
Since 2012, we also serve individuals 18 years old and above who are at risk of, or diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or dementia.
In 2013, our Health-Orientated Ageing (HOA) community at Upper Boon Keng area started blossoming, gently and unfalteringly. Individuals who are retired or considering retirement are joining this community and part-taking in various activities to help them shape their retirement life into one that is peaceful and fulfilling.
From April 2020, we transited to operate as a Company Limited by Guarantee, i.e. O’Joy Limited, in order to improve our governance.