Enriching and mobilizing participation of Whampoa elder residents: a mixed-methods outcome evaluation of an empowerment-based intervention

In Singapore, community programmes for older adults typically emphasise service delivery and recreational activities, often neglecting opportunities for them to actively participate in decision-making and co-creation of neighbourhood solutions. The Enriching and Mobilizing Participatory of Whampoa Elder’s Residents (EMPOWER) program (2019-2022) aimed to fill this gap by creating a platform for older adults to contribute to neighbourhood-level decision-making. Employing a community-based empowerment model, EMPOWER commenced with community-based participatory research to identify the needs of older adults and the challenges they faced, followed by Community Design Thinking Workshops (CDTW) to facilitate brainstorming and stakeholder engagement on solutions for aging in place. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental evaluation was conducted, comparing outcomes between EMPOWER participants and a comparison group. Inverse probability weighting and difference-in-difference analysis were used. Post intervention, EMPOWER participants exhibited an increase in confidence in addressing community issues (β = .32, 95%CI = .01 to .62), while the comparison group showed no improvements. Collective efficacy (β = .49, 95%CI= .16 to.84) and self-efficacy (β = .28, 95%CI = .01 to 0.54) decreased slightly among EMPOWER participants. However, the comparison group experienced a significantly greater decline, suggesting a buffering effect of the EMPOWER program against the backdrop of the pandemic period. Qualitative findings emphasised the programme’s role in fostering peer learning and community decision-making. The CDTW sessions enhanced participants’ understanding of community planning and policy processes, boosting their confidence in advocating for community issues. Despite difficulties with structural issues related to their environment, participants discovered a greater willingness from government officials to engage them in policymaking than anticipated, fostering realistic optimism through bottom-up solutions. This study provides valuable insights for future initiatives aiming to empower older adults towards ageing well and in place by facilitating older-adults-driven social change at the neighbourhood level.