The AWWA Senior Home community article in the Sunday Times (26/6) is an eye-opener on how it operates. There is a lot of freedom of movement for the residents. I think this is a good model for a retirement village, Sg style.
The studio apartment blocks can easily be adapted to a retirement community by following the AWWA Senior Home model. As the occupants of the studio apartments are owners of the apartments, they would need to pay a fee for the services provided, hence it is important that the retirement community of studio apartments be managed by a govt. department to keep costs affordable for the residents.
Recently I visited a friend who got a studio apartment in Hougang. She told me her neighbouring units are taken but the occupants are seldom at home. This implies that these elderly buyers of the studio apartments have a place to stay but thought it a good measure to buy a studio apartment. These early birds.
Now my friend, flushed with cash by downgrading to a studio apartment, is going on a tour of Europe. Life is good. :)
I guess your friend and like-minded people see value in the studio properties as investments than a place to retire. Interesting, what is this idea you have on the retirement community?
Personally, I am not sure if I am comfortable with studio units. I wish to live with siblings and/or children. Staying alone is a harsh environment as we aged.
Terence Seah
Studio apartments are not investment as they cannot be sold in the open market. It is a way for an elderly to have more cash by downgrading. Those elderly who bought studio apartments but are living with their children and grandchildren are making sure they have a place to go if they have conflict with their children. Meanwhile they now have the cash to go on trips with their friends, etc. It’s a win-win situation for the elderly.
My idea of a retirement community is modelled on the AWWA Senior Home managed by AWWA. The residents in the AWWA senior home are elderly poor, with no one to depend on. They are looked after by the staff in the Home but at the same time, they have almost ‘unlimited’ freedom to roam outside the Home (Gates are locked at !0 p.m. I think). And they are allowed to marry another resident and live in a unit as a married couple. Great, isn’t it?
It is not difficult to convert a studio apartment block to a community living block with a full time staff to manage the residents’ welfare, but many studio apartment dwellers are able bodied and guard their privacy, I think a ‘referendum’ of sorts need to be held before the conversion. Perhaps HDB could start with a pilot project.
Hi Jassmine,
I see what you are championing. Having been with this club for more than 10 years, I think many of our members are unlikely to raise their hands to follow suit; although there may be a demand.
When SHC did the overseas retirement discussion some 7 years ago, many of the thoughts focused on staying with existing family members. I am not sure how many of our members would stay alone in a studio unit, as you described; although we do read from time to time in the papers of sad happenins with alone elderlies.
Interesting, overseas and one country that I am familiar with, Australia, staying along or with spouse in a standalone studio unit seem to work well. Your idea of regroup HDB flats to form a retirement community is probably working somewhere in Singapore, although I am not sure where.
Great discussion, I enjoying following up your thots as one day, some of us will have the need, soon.
Terence Seah