In the early 1990s, out of the about 55,000 households living in Housing and Development Board (HDB) public rental flats, about 10,800 (i.e. 20%) were elderly households. Of these, about 6,000 were living in 1-room flats.
This group of elderly households living in 1-room rental flats comprised many Singapore’s early immigrants, who had contributed to the country’s economy in their earlier years by doing largely jobs requiring immense physical strengths, as they were illiterate. As they age, they were not able to cope with the physical requirements of the job and were forced to retire. These immigrants, when they were economically active, sent most of their earnings back to their homeland in China, India, etc. Thus when they retire, many of them hardly had much savings left to see them into their old age. Furthermore, many of them who had remained single, decided to remain in Singapore as they had been here for many years and had formed new bonds and kinships. Thus the profile of this group of elderly households typically comprised economically inactive elderly persons aged 60 years and above, either elderly single persons sharing a flat, or an elderly couple. They were also cash strapped and had to fend for themselves.
Many of these 1-room rental blocks were designed in the 1960s and 1970s. To lower costs, these blocks and units had a simple and compact design to house as many households as possible. Lifts were provided only on certain floors. As Singapore had a generally young population at that time, these designs and basic amenities served the purpose.
Nevertheless, in the 1990s, as the population started to age, designs, amenities and arrangements to facilitate the mobility of elderly persons, particularly the elderly poor, became more pressing. There were also increasing concerns about some of the elderly poor persons who were living alone (after their partner or room mate passed away) in 1-room rental flats been found dead in their flats. If nothing was done to assist them in their living arrangements and facilities so as to enhance their mobility and independence, many of them would be prematurely forced to go into institutional care, which they resisted as it uprooted them from their familiar environment.
In 1992, the Ministry of National Development (MND) asked HDB to look into the problem. Bearing in mind that the elderly persons were generally more comfortable with a familiar environment and preferred to continue living in their flats than staying in a home, HDB identified 2 main needs – firstly, to upgrade the physical environment to make it elder-friendly and secondly, to take care of their emotional aspect by having befriender services.
Thus, Project LIFE (Lift Improvement and Facilities Enhancement for the elderly), was connived and implemented in Aug 1993, to help the elderly poor residents to continue to live independently in the same community for as long as they could.
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