New Community Care Apartments come with service package that supports ageing in place
By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 11 Dec 2020
Singapore's first assisted living public housing in Bukit Batok for seniors aged 65 and above who wish to live on their own and yet enjoy some care, support and communal activities will be launched for sale in a Build-To-Order exercise next February.
Dubbed Community Care Apartments, this new flat type comes with a mandatory service package to support seniors to age in place, said the Ministry of National Development, Housing Board (HDB) and the Ministry of Health in a joint statement yesterday.
Services under the package include 24-hour emergency monitoring and response service, basic health checks, simple home fixes and activities at the communal spaces within the development.
All residents will have to subscribe and pay for the basic service package, which starts at $22,000 for a 15-year lease.
Other services such as housekeeping, laundry, meal delivery and shared caregiving can be added at extra cost.
Seniors must be 65 and above to apply for these flats. They can choose a lease ranging from 15 years to 35 years, in five-year increments, as long as it covers the applicant and his spouse, if any, until they are at least 95 years old.
Prices for these flats start from $40,000 for a 15-year lease to $65,000 for a 35-year lease, and must be fully paid upfront with cash or with Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings.
Government subsidies such as the Silver Housing Bonus, which gives seniors up to $30,000 cash bonus when they sell their existing flat and top up their proceeds to their CPF Retirement Account, are applicable.
However, these flats cannot be resold or rented out. Owners who no longer need the flat can return it to the HDB, which will refund them the value of the remaining lease of the flat.
Seniors with more pressing care needs, such as those requiring permanent assistance with activities of daily living, will be prioritised for the flats.
The new flats are a step up from Kampung Admiralty, an integrated retirement community development completed in 2017 that connects HDB blocks to a wide range of social and healthcare facilities meant for seniors.
The pilot batch of Community Care Apartments, located in Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, comprises about 160 units and is expected to be completed in 2024.
The flats were scheduled to be launched in May this year but were delayed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each 32 sq m flat comes with senior-friendly fittings - including grab bars and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom with slip-resistant flooring - to let residents move around in their homes with ease.
The flats have an open layout and come with sliding partitions to separate the living room and bedroom, along with a built-in wardrobe, cabinets and a furnished kitchen to reduce renovation time.
There will be furnished communal spaces on each floor for residents to share meals or participate in group activities, which serve as "extensions of their own living rooms", said the agencies.
A community manager will be on site to organise community activities and link seniors to care services relevant to their needs.
Residents will also get priority for admission to the nearby Bukit Batok Care Home should the need arise.
Other amenities within the development include a precinct pavilion, strolling path, activity centre, hawker centre, community garden and fitness station.
From next Monday to March 31, seniors and members of the public will be able to visit a life-size showcase of the communal space, along with scaled models of the block and flat, at the HDB Hub atrium in Lorong 6 Toa Payoh.
Visitors must book an appointment via HDB InfoWeb before visiting.
In a Facebook post yesterday, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said the new public housing concept "will broaden today's options for seniors who require some care and support within their homes, but are still able to and wish to live on their own".
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said feedback from seniors and their children, service providers, health professionals and caregivers was taken into consideration when planning the new flats.
He said: "Our seniors can look forward to living independently even as their care needs change, and enjoy more opportunities to stay active and take charge of their health through specially curated programmes and services.
"Seniors and caregivers will also be better able to navigate the spectrum of social and health support services with help from the community manager."
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