New Community Care Apartments come with service package that supports ageing in place
By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 11 Dec 2020
Singapore's first assisted living public housing in Bukit Batok for seniors aged 65 and above who wish to live on their own and yet enjoy some care, support and communal activities will be launched for sale in a Build-To-Order exercise next February.
Dubbed Community Care Apartments, this new flat type comes with a mandatory service package to support seniors to age in place, said the Ministry of National Development, Housing Board (HDB) and the Ministry of Health in a joint statement yesterday.
Services under the package include 24-hour emergency monitoring and response service, basic health checks, simple home fixes and activities at the communal spaces within the development.
All residents will have to subscribe and pay for the basic service package, which starts at $22,000 for a 15-year lease.
Other services such as housekeeping, laundry, meal delivery and shared caregiving can be added at extra cost.
Seniors must be 65 and above to apply for these flats. They can choose a lease ranging from 15 years to 35 years, in five-year increments, as long as it covers the applicant and his spouse, if any, until they are at least 95 years old.
Prices for these flats start from $40,000 for a 15-year lease to $65,000 for a 35-year lease, and must be fully paid upfront with cash or with Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings.
Government subsidies such as the Silver Housing Bonus, which gives seniors up to $30,000 cash bonus when they sell their existing flat and top up their proceeds to their CPF Retirement Account, are applicable.
However, these flats cannot be resold or rented out. Owners who no longer need the flat can return it to the HDB, which will refund them the value of the remaining lease of the flat.
Seniors with more pressing care needs, such as those requiring permanent assistance with activities of daily living, will be prioritised for the flats.
The new flats are a step up from Kampung Admiralty, an integrated retirement community development completed in 2017 that connects HDB blocks to a wide range of social and healthcare facilities meant for seniors.
The pilot batch of Community Care Apartments, located in Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, comprises about 160 units and is expected to be completed in 2024.
The flats were scheduled to be launched in May this year but were delayed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each 32 sq m flat comes with senior-friendly fittings - including grab bars and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom with slip-resistant flooring - to let residents move around in their homes with ease.
The flats have an open layout and come with sliding partitions to separate the living room and bedroom, along with a built-in wardrobe, cabinets and a furnished kitchen to reduce renovation time.
There will be furnished communal spaces on each floor for residents to share meals or participate in group activities, which serve as "extensions of their own living rooms", said the agencies.
A community manager will be on site to organise community activities and link seniors to care services relevant to their needs.
Residents will also get priority for admission to the nearby Bukit Batok Care Home should the need arise.
Other amenities within the development include a precinct pavilion, strolling path, activity centre, hawker centre, community garden and fitness station.
From next Monday to March 31, seniors and members of the public will be able to visit a life-size showcase of the communal space, along with scaled models of the block and flat, at the HDB Hub atrium in Lorong 6 Toa Payoh.
Visitors must book an appointment via HDB InfoWeb before visiting.
In a Facebook post yesterday, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said the new public housing concept "will broaden today's options for seniors who require some care and support within their homes, but are still able to and wish to live on their own".
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said feedback from seniors and their children, service providers, health professionals and caregivers was taken into consideration when planning the new flats.
He said: "Our seniors can look forward to living independently even as their care needs change, and enjoy more opportunities to stay active and take charge of their health through specially curated programmes and services.
"Seniors and caregivers will also be better able to navigate the spectrum of social and health support services with help from the community manager."
Forum: Assisted living flats not suited for those who need permanent help with daily activities
I am happy to see that assisted living is finally coming to Singapore (S'pore's 1st HDB flats for assisted living up for sale in February, Dec 11).
The Ministry of National Development's press release mentioned community activities organised by an on-site community manager, which I hope will be meaningful and include trips to restaurants as well as overseas. The event manager could also get residents to volunteer at charities.
One aspect of this assisted living project that I do not like is that people who require permanent assistance with activities of daily living will be given priority. If one requires permanent assistance with daily activities, then a retirement-village-type of assisted living is not a good fit. One would not be able to meaningfully enjoy the community events that are organised.
Such seniors should be looked after at nursing/care homes. People like me who are attracted to retirement villages want to live in a happy place. One where we are exposed to daily scenes of illness, suffering or death is not ideal.
Assisted living flats are very different from nursing/care homes. Assisted living flats are more relevant for more mobile residents who enjoy some assistance and communal living.
Colin Loh Yoon Fui
Forum: Assisted living is part of the care continuum as a person ages
I refer to Mr Colin Loh Yoon Fui's letter (Assisted living flats not suited for those who need permanent help with daily activities, Dec 15).
Assisted living, as its name suggests, is not a retirement village per se, but is instead a part of the care continuum as a person ages.
Up until 2015, when Singapore's first assisted living facility was rolled out, the only care option that seniors had was nursing homes if they could not cope with care at home.
Assisted living hopes to fill this yawning gap between independent living and nursing-home-level care.
Each person has instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs) such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, and the six basic ADLs of washing, toileting, dressing, feeding, mobility and transferring.
As a person ages, instrumental ADLs are the first to be lost for various reasons such as back problems, osteoarthritis and mild cognitive impairment.
Subsequently, the senior may start to require help with one or two basic ADLs.
Assisted living facilities are specifically designed to cater to seniors who require assistance with their instrumental ADLs as well as one or two basic ADLs.
The Assisted Living Facilities Association (Alfa) has advocated that assisted living facilities admit seniors who may need help with a maximum of two basic ADLs, after which they should be transitioned to a higher-care needs facility like a nursing home for safety reasons.
The care transition plan that has been thoughtfully put in place at the Community Care Apartments ensures that seniors who are assessed to need assistance with more than two basic ADLs will have priority for placement at the nearby Bukit Batok Care Home.
The retirement village that Mr Loh may be referring to should ideally encompass the entire continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living and nursing home levels of care. The Community Care Apartments do not.
Senior ageing is a continuous process. Alfa has identified assisted living as the missing link in Singapore's eldercare landscape and is thus hoping to educate the public on its features and benefits.
Mr Loh may want to consider Kampung Admiralty instead as an alternative for independent living. I hope this helps to clarify the concept of assisted living and I invite the public to contact Alfa for more information.
Belinda Wee (Dr)
Director
Assisted Living Facilities Association
Forum: Community Care Apartments add to range of care options for seniors
We refer to Mr Colin Loh Yoon Fui's letter (Flats not suited for those who need permanent help with daily activities, Dec 15).
The Government has a spectrum of housing and care options to enable seniors to age with dignity as their care needs evolve over time.
The Community Care Apartments add to the range of residential and care options for seniors that are available today.
Jointly developed by the Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Health, and Housing Board, they offer seniors an affordable housing option which integrates senior-friendly design features with care services.
The services and activities offered will cater to a wide range of care needs, from the well to the moderately disabled, and aim to encourage seniors to stay active for as long as they can.
The communal spaces and activity centre within the development provide spaces for seniors to interact and participate in activities.
Seniors will also be encouraged and guided by the community manager to lead and participate in specially curated programmes, which could include Mr Loh's good suggestion of volunteering.
We are according some priority for flat allocation to seniors with care needs, as they are more likely to benefit from the care services offered. However, the Community Care Apartments are not intended to substitute nursing home care.
Seniors who develop a high level of care or nursing needs, or who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness and/or loss of mental capacity that requires intensive support, are better suited to be cared for in a nursing home.
The operator will work with residents on their placements in a nursing home if such a need arises.
For more information on the Community Care Apartments, please visit HDB InfoWEB or the physical exhibition at HDB Hub.
Charlene Chang
Group Director, Ageing Planning Office
Ministry of Health
Karen Chong
Senior Director, Housing
Ministry of National Development
Seniors visit show-flat for Singapore's first assisted-living HDB flats in Bukit Batok
Seniors welcome new-concept housing that offers care, support and communal activities
By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 30 Dec 2020
A show-flat for Singapore's first assisted-living public housing is now open at HDB Hub, a week ahead of schedule.
To be located in Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, the Community Care Apartments are targeted at those aged 65 and above who wish to live on their own and yet enjoy some care, support and communal activities.
Yesterday, seniors who visited the show-flat told The Straits Times that they were attracted to the new concept, which allows them to forge close relationships with other people in their age group.
Part-time waiter Tan Soon Huat, 67, said the 32 sq m unit is the perfect size for him and his wife.
"The size is just nice, not too big and not too small. We're old already... it's good to have neighbours looking out for one another in this community," he said.
Each unit comes with grab bars and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom with slip-resistant flooring to let residents move about with ease.
Flats have an open layout and come with a built-in wardrobe, cabinets and a furnished kitchen to reduce renovation time.
There will be a furnished communal space on each floor for residents to mingle, and a community manager on site to facilitate activities.
Retired mechanic Roland Ho, 77, who visited the show-flat, said he is considering applying for a unit with his wife when the project launches.
Mr Ho, who now lives in a four-room Housing Board flat, said: "It's a nice concept and the unit looks comfortable... Maybe we can be the first to move in."
The pilot batch of Community Care Apartments will be launched for sale in February. There will be about 160 units, which are expected to be completed in 2024.
The new flat type comes with a mandatory service package, which includes 24-hour emergency monitoring and response service, basic health checks, simple home fixes and activities in the communal spaces within the development.
All residents will have to subscribe and pay for the basic service package, which starts at $22,000 for a 15-year lease.
Optional services such as laundry, meal delivery and shared care-giving can be added at extra cost.
Seniors must be 65 and above to apply for these flats and must choose a lease that will cover the applicant and spouse, if any, until they are at least 95 years old.
Prices for these flats range from $40,000 for a 15-year lease to $65,000 for a 35-year lease.
Besides the show-flat, the public can also view a sample of the communal space and scaled models of the block and flat at the HDB Hub atrium in Toa Payoh until March 31.
Visitors must book an appointment via HDB InfoWeb.
Senior partner relationship and operations manager Densy Kum, 55, said she is looking forward to more of such flats for seniors in other parts of Singapore and will apply for one when she turns 65.
"It's good to stay in an old folks' community... (where) there will be people to take care of me and I will also have peers of the same age group to mingle with," she said.
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