Share info on eldercare facilities in housing estates

I applaud Mr Christopher Tang Wei Ling's suggestion ("Test plan to link HDB blocks to nursing homes"; last Saturday).

If we had more of such support from the public, our society would be more graceful and suitable for ageing-in-place.

The "not-in-my-backyard" syndrome, which surfaced when the Government shared its plans to build nursing homes and other eldercare services in housing estates, shows that there are still people - though they are likely a minority - who do not support having eldercare facilities close to where they live.

The issues of such services affecting housing prices and the alternative usage of the space - such as for childcare and shopping centres - have also been brought up.

I am thankful to be living in a neighbourhood where there is an upcoming restructured hospital and community hospital, and already has a new nursing home and other social service agencies.

I know that my ageing parents will benefit from many of these services in the years to come, which will also alleviate the caregiving strain.

To achieve the Government's goal of enabling ageing in place, Mr Tang's suggestion is a great way to link the community with eldercare facilities and also to enable seniors - such as those in nursing homes - to continue to interact with society.

We should never isolate our seniors, who have contributed much to society, or be scared of them.

We should, instead, provide more information to facilitate greater understanding of the services and support available for seniors and caregivers in the community.

With more community-based eldercare services available, nursing homes may not be the only solution - locally or overseas.

Yang Mingyi (Ms)

This article was first published on April 30, 2015.
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