National Day Rally: ‘Age Well Neighbourhoods’ can increase spaces, accessibility of services for seniors
These can better support seniors in older towns such as Toa Payoh, says PM Lawrence Wong
[SINGAPORE] The Republic can expand on existing care arrangements for seniors to build “Age Well Neighbourhoods” that support them where they are, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 17).
These can better support seniors in older towns such as Toa Payoh, he said, after flagging long-term care and living arrangements as one major issue for seniors.
The first of such neighbourhoods will be in Toa Payoh and “one or two other areas with a high concentration of seniors”.
Under the existing Community Care Apartments (CCA) initiative by the Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Health (MOH), public housing flats are combined with care arrangements for seniors.
These include senior-friendly features – such as wheelchair-accessible bathrooms with grab bars and slip-resistant floors – as well as a subscription to services, such as health checks. A centre, which employs staff to coordinate the delivery of these services and serves as an activity hub, also sits within the block.
The first CCA project in Bukit Batok was built this year, and more will be developed across Housing & Development Board (HDB) towns in the coming years, said PM Wong.
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“But CCAs cannot be the main solution,” he added. “There is a limit to how many new CCAs we can build. Furthermore, many seniors don’t want to move out.”
Singapore must still provide for seniors who have lived in their homes for many years and want to stay in their familiar environments as they age, he said, noting that more seniors today live alone.
Age Well Neighbourhoods can take “essential elements” of the CCA, said PM Wong. Older estates can be made more senior-friendly by increasing their spaces and facilities; expanding home-based services; and bringing healthcare services closer to them.
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First, this means making “physical touchpoints” such as Active Ageing Centres more accessible, by identifying more sites so that seniors need to travel less to reach the nearest one.
This will lead to more activities and facilities, offering more varied forms of exercise and hands-on workshops.
Second, home-based services like those offered at the CCA will be provided, coordinated by dedicated care staff. Seniors can choose what they need, including services such as simple home fixes and basic health checks.
There will also be options for additional services such as housekeeping, meal deliveries, and help with daily activities such as showering.
Third, the enhanced neighbourhoods will bring healthcare services closer to seniors. This will include more care facilities for those with rehabilitative and physiotherapy needs.
Hospitals will set up community “health posts”. These will deploy nurses more regularly, to help seniors follow up and manage their medication after leaving the hospital. They can also provide basic consultations, so seniors will not need to travel to a clinic.
“In other countries, what I’ve just described might be considered a ‘retirement village’,” said PM Wong. “But in Singapore, we don’t want our seniors to live in separate, isolated places.”
Age Well Neighbourhoods will be within HDB towns, and among residents of all ages. Beginning with two or three neighbourhoods, “we will test new ideas, learn what works, and scale up progressively”, he said, adding that MND and MOH will share more details when they are ready.
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