HDB STUDIO APARTMENTS FOR THE ELDERLY

Dr Lily Neo asked the Minister for National Development whether the studio apartments that the Housing and Development Board plans to build for the elderly (i) will be equipped in such a way as to allow the frail and elderly to stay independently in their homes, (ii) will have any alarm, surveillance and support systems built in the apartments to cater for emergency and unforeseen situations, and (iii) will have spatial or structural allowances for future modifications to allow the semi-independent elderly to live in.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the studio apartment is purpose-built to cater to the needs of the elderly lessees. Within the block, lifts will stop at every floor. To facilitate the movement of the elderly and the handicapped, the access corridor will be wider with handrails provided, and steps or difference in levels around the apartments will be minimised.

The studio apartments will be provided with full floor finishes, kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and other fixtures so that the elderly will be able to move in immediately without having to renovate or furnish the studio apartment on their own. Other elderly-friendly features within the studio apartments include wider doors, more spacious toilets and bathrooms with non-slip floor tiles, lever-type taps, bigger switches and support hand-bars in the toilets and bathrooms. There will also be no steps or level differences within the apartment so as to minimise the need for future modifications.

The void deck will be made available for social and communal facilities and amenities to be operated by voluntary welfare organisations and commercial enterprises. Provisions will be made to allow for the installation of alarm systems in the studio apartments which will be linked to the voluntary welfare organisations.

Dr Lily Neo: Sir, may I ask the Minister whether he will consider providing structural allowances for future installation of ceiling hoists which are useful aids that link the bedroom to the bathroom so that the weak elderly may move about independently?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: I thank the Member for the suggestion. I will get the HDB to consider it.

Mr Chng Hee Kok: Sir, this may appear to be operationally efficient. But would it not be better to integrate these blocks of flats with the existing blocks, rather than keeping separate blocks for the elderly?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the challenge of the elderly in our society will require many different solutions. There will not be just one single solution. As regards stand-alone studio apartments, we are trying out this solution. We have also tried solutions of integrating senior citizen facilities, smaller apartments with bigger flats in Pasir Ris. That did not work out but that does not mean that we will give up. We will try again in other towns. Sir, I would say that we will continue to try different solutions and maybe under different circumstances, some of these solutions will work better.