Care of the elderly is a booming business as Asia’s ageing population grows, but gaps still remain in the industry.
An interview was arranged with Caring Fleet Services (CFS) general manager Loh Yuan Han about the company’s niche service.
HOW DID CFS START?
CFS was founded as a non-profit social enterprise in 2010, with a mission to provide dedicated and specialised transportation services for wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties.
Previously, such mobility vehicles were not readily available to the public. Mobility assistive services were present, but they were very fragmented. CFS was set up to centralise such transport services.
CFS desires to give people with limited mobility greater freedom and convenience in travelling. It also encourages independence and self-sufficiency among the physically challenged. Their services are also subsidised for lower-income clients.
The Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE), an umbrella body that develops local social enterprises, started to fund CFS in May 2017.
WHAT SERVICES DO CFS OFFER?
CFS provides accessible transportation for people with mobility difficulties. They cater mainly to lower-income individuals and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), including daycare centres and eldercare centres. It also has “on-demand” services, which is open to public who need wheelchair-friendly transport.
HOW FAR HAS CFS COME SINCE STARTING ITS OPERATIONS?
CFS was hardly known to eldercare centres or hospitals in the early days of operations, so they were disadvantaged in terms of economy of scale. Their beneficiaries were also often unable to fully pay for their fees, hence affecting CFS’s cost recovery.
Their operations improved after several organisations tried their service, and realised the quality that they were providing. Other organisations then got to know about CFS through such recommendations.
CFS hires senior citizens as their customer service officers, as they believe they can better connect with their clients, many of whom are elderly people. Their senior officers can also speak dialects, which allows them to communicate effectively with the elderly clients.
Hiring seniors is also in line with CFS’s mission to provide employment to senior citizens.
WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN SINGAPORE?
It is always a challenge for social enterprises to maintain a sustainable business model. A career in the social service sector is not very favoured by Singaporeans in general.
With a lack of transport services catering to the needy in Singapore, this is where CFS fills the gap in the social service sector.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR GROWTH?
CFS intends to extend their services to more affluent individuals and working professionals. They may have sustained temporary injuries and are wheelchair- bound for the short term. They will pay the full amount for CFS’s services, helping to keep the fees for the lower-income individuals low. There are also plans to further decrease prices for this underprivileged group.
Plans are also underway to improve their on-demand booking service, such that a vehicle will be available within a few hours, as compared with the current waiting time of one to three days. CFS will be collaborating with on-demand transport service providers in creating mobile booking applications.
CFS is exploring the option of carpooling services for on-demand booking to allow clients to share rides, making it more cost-saving for our operations.
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 7 June 2017