We thank Dr Belinda Wee for sharing her views on assisted living (Managing frailty just as important as prevention, March 21).
The Government has launched the Community Care Apartments (CCAs) and the recently closed tender for a private assisted living development to expand the range of housing options for seniors. These developments twin housing and care to support seniors to age in the community.
They are intended to cater to seniors with different care needs, ranging from those who are well and wish to live in an assisted living development for added peace of mind as they age, to those who require more care and support at the point of moving in.
We agree with Dr Wee that ensuring overall well-being of our seniors is important. The CCAs have been designed with this in mind. For example, a key feature of the CCAs is the social programming designed to keep seniors active and engaged, including activities organised by seniors themselves. These will help them build social bonds for mutual care and support.
A range of optional services are also provided in the CCAs to cater to different care needs. In this way, seniors who are well can continue to be independent, while frailer seniors who need assistance can opt in for services such as laundry or meals.
Beyond these purpose-built assisted living facilities, the Ministry of Health is working with community partners to expand our network of Active Ageing Centres, as well as deliver stronger social care and support in our housing estates, so that we can enable seniors to age well in the community.
Ho Weng Si
Director (Successful Ageing), Ageing Planning Office
Ministry of Health