Holiday Work - Part 1: Understanding the "The Elderly Challenge"

1)Explain in your own words, the FOUR key recommendations of the report.

The four key recommendations are:

• Recommendation 1:

Housing for seniors: Building houses specially for the elderly. Singapore government will build new houses of different ranges and types to suit the needs and commitment of the elderly.  Flats and houses will be improved, renovated, upgraded and modified so that the elderly can stay in conveniently. Together with it, there will be good support care services so that people can care for the elderly. By doing this, the elderly will feel convenient at home and they will feel safe, secure, happy and lonely as people will still talk and care about them.

• Recommendation 2:

Accessibility for seniors: Modifying and changing the environment around them, making it accessible and easier for the elderly. More places in Singapore will be easy and convenient for the elderly. For examples: the transportation such as MRT, buses will be barrier-free. The elderly do not need to worry because the government will upgrade and modify the accessibility to take the various transport. There will be accessible lifts,walkways and transport pick-up points. It will be less trouble for the elderly as the the buses will have low step so people will weak legs can climb up the bus easily.

• Recommendation 3:

Caring for the seniors: More healthcare are available, the prices are affordable and the accessibility to the seniors living in the community will be easier such that there will be a few healthcare shops available at one estate. Those elderly who have medical problems will have discounts to a variety of healthcare and elderly services. By doing that, the elderly will not have to worry about financial problems and their health will be monitored and maintained.

• Recommendation 4:

Opportunities for seniors:  More organisations will organise activities and events planned for the elderly that will bond their family together. It will encourage family to go out together and their relationship will be better and understand the needs of each other. The elderly will attend some community groups when they are bored. It will help them to make new friends be it young or old.

2)State ONE way that the CAI report is recommending to make our public housing more elderly-friendly.

In the elderly public-housing, lifts, walkways, and transport pick-up points are made accessible and convenient for the elderly. As for the lifts, it will be barrier-free therefore, elderly can enter and leave the lifts easily and conveniently.

3) State TWO ways on how we can ensure that the quality of elderly care here in Singapore is affordable.

Firstly, the elderly can use their medisave to pay for the bills of the hospitals, the services and the medicines. 

Secondly, the government can give the elderly a fixed amount of money each month based on their medical consumption and their medical health. If their medical health and medicines is expensive, the government can give higher tot he elderly to pay off the bills  and medicines. 

4) After reading the CAI report, what do you think are the THREE things that you can do, as an SST student, to help overcome these elderly challenges.

As an SST student:

• I can teach them some computer skills that are basic and easier to be understood. By doing this, at least they know about the world and how modern it is now.
• I can organise a project where each of the group in our school will have to research and  out with some interesting but useful gadgets that can be useful for the elderly to overcome these challenges.
• We can visit as a group to their houses and help to clean their house. By doing this, we are doing our part to help the elderly stay in a nice and comfortable place.