'Quiet room' at some new senior care centres

'Quiet room' at some new senior care centres

People with dementia will be able to relax in a "quiet room" modelled after homes of the past and painted in soothing colours, and be encouraged by special software to reminisce about their younger days, in new senior care centres run by a major eldercare provider.

National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Health - formed by merging NTUC's eldercare service provider NTUC Eldercare and its pharmacy arm NTUC Unity - has built two such centres this year.

It has also converted two of its day-care centres for the elderly into senior care centres by adding a quiet room each, rehabilitation equipment and safety fixtures.

The expanded facilities allow the centres to offer community nursing, rehabilitation and dementia care, on top of the usual social day-care services that these centres provide.

By early next year, it will convert two more existing day-care centres, bringing its number of senior care centres to six.

The Eldercare Trust - a charity to help the elderly set up by NTUC Eldercare - yesterday received a $1 million donation from the NTUC-U Care Fund, which consolidates the labour movement's fund-raising for low-income members and their families.

This donation will, in turn, be disbursed to NTUC Health to help finance centre conversions.

A large part of the money will also go towards financial assistance to senior citizens from low- to middle-income families who are using NTUC Health's day-care and senior care centres and home care services.

The trust has given financial assistance to more than 400 seniors this year. It aims to help close to 700 seniors next year.

Mr Teng Chit Seng, 66, would be spending his days alone at home if not for the financial aid that helps foot his bills for day- care services at Silver Circle Senior Care Centre in Dakota Crescent.

"I'm single and live alone. The financial support helps my sister with my care expenses and enables me to come down to the centre," he said, adding that he is happy to be at the centre with his peers.


This article was first published on Dec 5, 2014.
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