Elderly Challenge - Observation 4

I notice that some elderly like exercising. This is a good thing for them as it helps to keep them fit and strong. Besides from running, I also see some elderly doing Tai Ji to help them physically and mentally. This also helps them to gain more friends and enjoy themselves, rather than staying at home and doing nothing. However, during their exercise, they should not exert themselves or they may hurt themselves slightly or a lot, which may be dangerous, due to their old age.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 3

Around shopping districts, there are several ramps with railings to provide the elderly with support. Elderly can stabilize themselves more when walking on these ramps and holding the railings than taking the stairs, over-exerting themselves.

There are also many benches and chairs for the elderly to sit when they are tired and need a short rest. They also can sit there and talk to their friends and socialize more, so they feel more welcome in our society.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 2

There are lifts in HDB flats that benefit the elderly, so that they do not need to take the hassle of using the staircase to go up the building. The lift buttons have brail that enable the visually handicapped seniors to press them.

A similar application is also in the MRT Stations where the floors have something like the brail that helps the blind walk and find their way to the MRT Platforms and MRT.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 1

On buses, there are poles and seats for the elderly. Some chairs are even specially coloured green, to differentiate it from the other seats. Those green seats are for the elderly to sit on and for their convenience. However, inconsiderate people sit on the green seats, and pretend they do not see any elderly, not willing to give up their seats for these seniors. The new buses these days even have backrests, so if there are not enough seats for the elderly, these backrests still allow the elderly to be comfortable on the buses.

In the MRT, there are poles and Reserved Seats for the elderly to support their instability.

Holiday work - Part 1: Understanding the ‘The Elderly Challenge’

• Explain in your own words, the FOUR key recommendations of the report.
• State ONE way that the CAI report is recommending to make our public housing more elderly-friendly
• State TWO ways on how we can ensure that the quality of elderly care here in Singapore is affordable
• After reading the CAI report, what do you are the THREE things that you can do, as an SST student, to help overcome these elderly challenges

Housing for Seniors: The housings in Singapore will be made more elder-friendly, making the elderly feel more welcomed into the community and convenient for them. The place is also flexible for people of all ages, making the elderly become closer with their families.

Accessibility for Seniors: Transportations in and out of buildings will be designed in a way that it is accessible for people of all ages and convenient for them, facing not much difficulty, especially for the elderly. Their way of living would be much easier.

Caring for Seniors: There would be a diversity of healthcare and eldercare services accommodating different types of illnesses and needs, and these would be cos-efficient and easily accessible for the elderly.

Opportunities for Seniors: Activities organized by community groups, involving people of all ages, to make the elderly have health and active lifestyles and they would be more sociable, becoming closer to their families and friends.

The Government should consider specific measures to facilitate the development of retirement housing by the private sector, in particular, varying the length of land leases to lower land costs, to cater to seniors who desire such lifestyles.

The Government should top-up Medisave accounts of less well off Singaporeans when there are budgetary surpluses to ensure that seniors have the means to afford healthcare services.

The Government should adopt a holistic, family physician (FP) - centered approach towards the management of healthcare needs for seniors, given their close proximity to seniors in the community and ability to ensure that they receive the most appropriate level of healthcare services within the community.

I could help the elderly/seniors in my house, or do voluntary work in homes, to make the elderly feel more welcomed in our society and not like 'outcasts'.

I can also help by thinking of ways to make the elderly's lives more convenient and finding some of the non-elderly things, and trying to amend them.

I can also try to organize some activities once in a while for the elderly and my family (eg. grandparents and family) to make them closer to each other and care for each other more.

- Done by Michelle Dapito