Singaporean of the Year finalists: SG Assist founders’ struggles led them to support other caregivers

SINGAPORE – SG Assist founders Adrian Tan and Greg Tan were at a crossroads in 2024, seven years after they started an organisation to support and advocate for caregivers in 2017.

When they were unloading items from a car after National Day celebrations at work, Adrian suffered a stroke that temporarily paralysed the right side of his body. He was 38 at the time.

As Greg drove his car behind the ambulance taking Adrian to the hospital, endless questions were going through his head, one of which was whether or not to continue with SG Assist.

“It felt like a slap to the face. We do so many things for the community and something like this happens to him – it made me wonder if it was all worth it,” said Greg, now 44.

A day after Adrian’s stroke, Greg asked him if they should continue running SG Assist. “It just felt like this was a sign that we should stop,” said Greg.

Adrian, on the other hand, said he felt motivated by SG Assist staff, who had over the years shown great passion and dedication in helping to keep the organisation afloat.

“They are the people that we have met along the way while building up the organisation,” he said.

To date, SG Assist has helped over 1,600 caregivers, and has supported over 1,500 households through its call-centre home-monitoring programme, which checks on the well-being of seniors who are living alone.

The team has since grown to 14 full-time staff members.

Greg and Adrian have been shortlisted for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award in 2026. The award is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society or put Singapore on the world stage.

The award, organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore, was launched in 2015. The International Impact Award and Young Singaporean of the Year Award were introduced in 2025.

Nearly 10 years after starting SG Assist, Greg and Adrian have restructured the organisation so that it has a for-profit arm, the Care Innovation Institute (CII).

The CII, which provides consultancy and training services for social service organisations and its volunteers, is a way to fund SG Assist’s work.

“It can be hard to get funding to support caregivers,” said Adrian, adding that these people are rarely seen as legitimate beneficiaries by the public.

Donors usually prefer to give to a specific group of caregivers to patients with a certain condition, rather than to caregivers as a whole, he said.

So, CII was created to help financially support these efforts.

The seed for SG Assist was planted in 2017, when Greg and Adrian were at in-camp training as part of national service.

They bonded over their shared experiences of being a caregiver to a family member and realised that many others, like them, are struggling to meet the demands of caregiving and are often not aware of available resources.

At the time, Adrian was his mother’s primary caregiver after her cancer diagnosis in 2007.

Greg was looking after his father, who underwent an angioplasty in 2015, a procedure to open blood vessels to allow blood flow.

A month after their initial chat, the pair set up SG Assist with initial funding of nearly $300,000, comprising money from their own pockets and their caregiver friends.

The organisation’s work includes supporting caregivers by linking them to resources and providing consultancy services for social service agencies on caregiver-related projects.

It also runs a call centre that connects seniors to tech companies and telemedicine providers. The call centre is manned by other seniors, caregivers, and people with disabilities, who do so from home, said Adrian.

In 2023, the two men, both bachelors, opened a Caregiver Resource Centre in Khatib, which hosts regular caregiving-related talks and learning journeys.

It also houses the Age+ Living Lab, where visitors such as seniors, caregivers and community members can have hands-on experience testing assistive devices, smart home set-ups and “gerontechnology” solutions in a simulated domestic setting.

Gerontechnology refers to products and services that support healthy, safe and independent living for seniors.

While Adrian’s mobility has improved since suffering the stroke, running remains difficult for him and he stutters if he speaks too fast.

Greg and Adrian have had to make many personal sacrifices to make SG Assist a reality.

They did not draw a salary until it became a social enterprise in 2018, and even then, they had paid themselves about $3,000 a month each – a fraction of what they once earned. Adrian was previously paid around $7,000 a month when he worked in the logistics sector, while Greg earned about $25,000 as a superintendent in an oil and gas firm.

From being army campmates and then business partners, Greg and Adrian have become friends. They travel together and take road trips to nearby places – sometimes with Adrian’s mother tagging along.

“People think respite for caregivers means time spent away from the care recipient, but that actually takes time away from the people we love most,” said Adrian.

Singaporean of the Year Award

The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year (SOTY) is an award that is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society. This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.

Organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore, the main award is in its 12th year. The official airline partner is Singapore Airlines and the global hotel partner is Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

How to nominate:

Prizes for award recipient and finalists

The award recipient will receive:

• $20,000 in cash

• One pair of Singapore Airlines business class tickets for each individual/group, up to three pairs of tickets for the winning group

• A five-night stay in any of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for the winning group

Finalists will receive:

• $5,000 cash for each individual/group

• One pair of Singapore Airlines economy class tickets for each individual/group, up to a maximum of three pairs for each group of finalists

• A three-night stay in one of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for each finalist

International Impact Award

The award seeks to honour Singaporeans who have made a positive impact beyond Singapore’s borders, contributing to the country’s global reputation.

They must have delivered a project, initiative or body of work that benefited a community or country outside Singapore.

The award recipient will receive:

• $20,000 in cash

Young Singaporean of the Year Award

The award seeks to recognise a Singaporean under 18 who has shown courage, compassion, empathy, kindness or a spirit of service, and has made a positive impact among peers.

The award recipient will receive:

• $5,000 in cash

• A pair of Singapore Airlines economy class tickets

• A three-night stay in one of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for each finalist.