Gametize is proud to collaborate with Moral Home for the Aged Sick as our SMU-X industry partner for our 5th collaboration with Singapore Management University (SMU-X Program) on a 12 weeks long “hackathon”. Powered by Gametize.com, this collaboration invites students to co-create a digital solution that transforms how volunteers are engaged and onboarded in a community-based nursing home setting. 

Why should this concern us? Singapore’s aging population presents pressing challenges that extend beyond healthcare into social and community domains. By 2030, the number of seniors aged 65 and above will double to around 900,000, with an estimated 92,000 living alone—up from 41,000 in 2018. Nearly 51% of seniors over 60 already live with multiple chronic conditions, and rates of dementia, mobility issues, and financial insecurity are expected to rise. Loneliness and caregiver strain are becoming more pronounced, and the digital divide continues to exclude many seniors from essential services. These trends highlight the urgent need for stronger, more inclusive support systems to ensure seniors’ dignity, independence, and well-being.

Volunteering in eldercare is crucial to bridging these gaps, but challenges remain in recruitment, engagement, and sustainability. Singapore’s volunteerism rate dropped from 29% in 2018 to 22% in 2021, and though it has since rebounded to about 30%, volunteers now contribute fewer hours (a median of 9 hours a year, down from 12) and smaller donations (halved from $200 to $100). Service providers also report manpower shortages and difficulties in scaling programmes, despite more than S$1 billion injected into eldercare through the Community Silver Trust since 2011. Critically, the “human touch” provided by volunteers—through befriending, dementia support, and day-to-day companionship—cannot be replaced by funding or infrastructure alone. Strengthening volunteer engagement, alongside sustainable funding and manpower strategies, will be key to meeting the needs of Singapore’s rapidly growing senior population. 

This round’s Demo Day will be hosted in Singapore Management University, ALCove. The hackathon centers on designing a digital community-centric strategy with gamification and AI to engage volunteers and caregivers at Moral Home for the Aged Sick. Students will present a working prototype powered by Gametize.com, aiming to streamline volunteer processes and drive long-term engagement.

Previously, we have worked with more than 300 students to promote sustainability and tackled close-to-heart issues affecting aging population and their caregivers, such as dementia, social isolation, volunteerism, welcoming guest judges from AIC and IMDA. We also took on combating drug abuse, with expert mentors from Central Narcotics Bureau and private therapy practices. While the students are graded as part of the Leadership and Teambuilding Course, they are also encouraged to continue on with the projects. The blueprint of all deliverables will be “open-sourced” to any non-profit organizations willing to adopt them. 

Demo Day Details:
Our Demo Day will happen on 3rd November 2025, 12pm to 330pm. There are a total of 6 teams presenting a prototype experience that is developed, implemented, and tested in Moral home under 12 weeks. They are also encouraged to be creative in their methods and to integrate other relevant digital solutions, such as ChatGPT. The students are actively mentored by a panel of industry experts and existing volunteers, clocking over 20 hours of their time for the cause. We really appreciate their time, dedication, and their support for this program. Check out our superheroes at https://app.gametize.com/topic/83594 featuring Junus, Clifton, Kairos, Grace, Douglas, Arjay, Thibaut and finally Don, Clayton from Moral Home. Special shoutout to our guest speakers, Ms Jenny and Ms Kerano. 

About SMU-X LTB and Collaboration with Gametize:
SMU-X LTB is a program at SMU Lee Kong Chian Business School to facilitate the building of Leadership and Team-building skills whilst accomplishing a 12-week long project. Gametize has been an industry partner for 5 runs collaborating with Dr Rani Tan. 

The Briefing Deck for Students can be accessed at https://app.gametize.com/project/8373/posts/662/comments

About Gametize:
Gametize (gametize.com) is the world’s simplest enterprise-grade gamification platform for community engagement and advocacy. Clients use Gametize to motivate target behaviours for various purposes, such as in employees training/performance management, or consumer marketing/sales advocacy. The highly customizable and versatile solution is available on both cloud and on-premises.