Easing Worries with Easy Planning

75-year-old Mr Wong Poh Khim spent most of his time travelling and visiting his young grandson when he retired in 2017. After discovering TOUCHpoint@Yishun 436, one of TOUCH’s Active Ageing Centres (AAC) in July 2021, Mr Wong started to volunteer actively with the AAC and joined the Angklung interest group. Before retirement, Mr Wong often volunteered during his free time, escorting seniors living in nursing homes to the hospital for their medical check-ups.

Now that he is retired, he spends most of his time volunteering with seniors from TOUCH. “I think that seniors with no family need more care. We need to be more proactive in understanding and helping them,” says Mr Wong. He is a confidant to many seniors that he has befriended at the centre, including being a buddy to a senior with depression helping them,” says Mr Wong. He is a confidant to many seniors that he has befriended at the centre, including being a buddy to a senior with depression. 

Trusting TOUCH with his Advance Care Planning 

Caption: Mr Wong (fourth from the right in the back row) performing with the Angklung interest group from TOUCHpoint@Yishun 436

It was at TOUCHpoint@Yishun 436 that Mr Wong came to know about the importance of Advance Care Planning (ACP). The ACP is the process of planning one’s future healthcare needs. This involves discussions about the individual’s personal beliefs and goals for care with loved ones and healthcare providers, which are then documented. It can be continuously revised according to changes in the individual’s wishes. Having an ACP ensures that the individual’s healthcare preferences will be followed even if they lose mental capacity and can no longer make decisions for themselves. 

The timing was right for Mr Wong as he had been curious about ACP when he first learnt about it from the media. This prompted him to find out more through the ACP talks conducted by the TOUCH Professional Deputies and Donees team.  

Mr Wong was able to glean useful insights from the talk, where he learnt about the importance of appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), where a legal donee will be appointed to look after one’s financial and personal welfare decisions on their behalf. These include decisions about where they will live and what to do with their properties and assets. 

“I am glad that I can do my ACP through TOUCH and do not have to look elsewhere,” says Mr Wong. He trusted TOUCH to help him with his ACP due to his frequent involvement with TOUCH’s activities and immediately signed up for an ACP session after a talk conducted by TOUCH on the topic. 

Caption: Planning ahead through the ACP.

During the ACP sessions, Mr Wong had in-depth discussions about his end-of-life care preferences and wishes. He was able to provide clear and detailed instructions in his ACP, and felt that the process of completing his ACP was straightforward and easy. 

Easing the burden on himself and his family

Reflecting on the ACP, Mr Wong believes that it is important to have his ACP done while he can still make decisions for himself. He encouraged his wife to make her ACP as well as it allowed them to have peace of mind and not burden their children should they fall very ill one day.

This became especially relevant to Mr Wong when he discovered that he had cancer in 2022. While suffering from cancer, he continued to go to the AAC almost daily to participate in the activities. With an ACP, Mr Wong had the assurance that his future care needs were being taken care of. He felt that he did not have to worry as he had already communicated his values and wishes regarding his future medical care.  

“The most important thing is to have clear instructions on my needs in case anything happens in the future. This will make it easier for my family,” says Mr Wong. “If I leave, I have no regrets. Everything will be smooth.” 

“Life is unpredictable. Making your Advance Care Plan early is one of the best things you can do for your family. Don’t wait — take the time now to make your wishes clear, so that your loved ones have the guidance and peace of mind and everyone is better prepared during emergencies,” says Ms Julia Lee, Group Head, TOUCH Professional Deputies & Donees.

Ageing actively is not just about staying healthy, but also about ensuring that your future care needs are secured even when you are no longer healthy or able to make decisions for yourself. For ACP-related enquiries, please call 9653 1076 or email enquirypdd@touch.org.sg.  
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TOUCH Professional Deputies & Donees (TPDD) was set up in 2019, following the launch of the PDD scheme by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2018. TPDD is part of TOUCH Family Services’ efforts to build enabled communities and strengthen family relationships. Leveraging its decades of community service, including serving the elderly and people with special needs, individuals can be assured of reliability and service continuity. TPDD has a pool of professionals certified and registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). Individuals, who want to make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and do not have a suitable Donee or replacement Donee, are now given the option to appoint a Professional Donee under TOUCH to manage their Personal Welfare, Property & Affairs, or both, when they lose mental capacity.

Story published in 2025