More support and facilities for elderly with 7 new centres

By Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia, 9 May 2012

The government is stepping up efforts to provide more support and facilities for the elderly by opening social, recreational and rehabilitation hubs for the elderly.

By the end of this year, it will have four seniors service centres, with three more to open next year in Havelock, Woodlands and Choa Chu Kang.

Two centres have already opened in Bishan and Ang Mo Kio, with another two in the pipeline at Strathmore Avenue and Kang Ching Road.

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) announced the initiative at the official opening of a senior service centre in Ang Mo Kio on Wednesday, which is situated at the foot of Block 307D in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.

Called One Care Zone, the centre serves elderly residents living in HDB studio apartments and other residences in the vicinity.

With One Care Zone in the estate, 80-year-old Susie Tan has been making use of its facilities every day.

"I come down here and spend my time here. So "hide-out" place (laughs)."

Besides board games, arts and crafts and computer terminals, One Care Zone also provides chargeable services of physiotherapy and occupational therapy treatments.

There are also plans to bring medical services to One Care Zone. While the centre may look a little bare, it will soon operate as a clinic, making it more convenient for residents to see a doctor.

All the studio apartments have an alert alarm system installed, which staff at the centre monitor in case of an emergency, which resident Lydia Soekartijah finds useful.

"I stay alone. I'm very old. Maybe if something happen to me I can just press the bell," she said.

Currently there are about 35,000 elderly living alone today.

And the government expects this number to increase to 83,000 by 2030.

Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob said: "That's quite a staggering number. So we have to do everything possible to support them so that many of them do not have to go to the nursing homes. They can live in their own homes or with the support of their family members. But in the community, supported by the community facilities."

She added that such assisted living housing models will allow seniors to maintain their own independence.

MCYS plans to build two new Integrated Daycare Facilities (IDF) - one in Tampines and another in Bishan/Toa Payoh area - and upgrade six existing Day Care/Day Rehabilitation Centres to IDFs by this year.