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

1) Explain in your own words, the FOUR key recommendations of the report.

a) Housing for Seniors

Singapore should have a wider range of housing options for the elderly to meet each senior citizen's personal needs.

b) Accessibility for Seniors

Singapore should be more elder-friendly in terms of transport. Transport for the elderly should be more convenient in places such as walkways along HDB flats, buildings, public transport etc. This can be accomplished by installing slopes instead of stairs, lifts on every floor etc.

c) Caring for Seniors

Singapore should have more healthcare services aid the elderly in terms of their physical disadvantage. These healthcare services should be affordable for the elderly too.

d) Opportunities for Seniors

The elderly in Singapore should be given more opportunities to socialise and lead a healthy lifestyle. This can be done by letting the elderly come together in community centers and talk to each other. There are also places that the elderly can exercise and stay healthy. For example, exercise parks and playgrounds for the elderly.

2) State ONE way that the CAI report is recommending to make our public housing more elderly-friendly.

HDB should work with market players to offer reverse mortgage schemes for elderly HDB flat lessees at commercial terms, to provide another option for seniors to derive some income from their homes to meet expenditure in old age, without having to move out of their homes.

3) State TWO ways on how we can ensure that the quality of elderly care here in Singapore is affordable.

The government could top-up Medisave accounts of less-income Singaporeans to ensure that seniors can afford healthcare services.

4) 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?

Firstly, I can help overcome these elderly challenges by empathising with the elderly and treat them better. As a growing teenager, I can start by talking more to my grandparents. Next, I can make use of the innovative mindset to think of better facilities to improve the living environment for the elderly. Lastly, I can always take the initiative to help any elderly on the streets that need my assistance.

~Jia Le