Number of Occupants in Senior Group Homes

6 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development why there are three occupants in a 1-room rental unit in Senior Group Homes instead of the standard number of two occupants under the typical HDB rental housing scheme.

7 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider extending the Senior Group Home scheme to suitable adults with special needs whose families are no longer around or able to look after them.

The Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Tan Chuan-Jin): Mdm Speaker, the Senior Group Home model supports frail elderly–”

Mdm Speaker: Minister, do you want to take the next two questions together?

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Sorry. Mdm Speaker, may I have your permission to take the next two questions together?

Mdm Speaker: I give my permission.

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Thank you. The Senior Group Home model supports frail elderly in rental flats to age within the community and delay premature institutionalisation of these seniors.

The objective is that each Senior Group Home would be located in a public rental block and typically comprises six to eight rental flats which can accommodate 12 to 18 seniors. The Senior Group Home is an assisted living model where seniors can live independently in the community and provide mutual support to one another. They are paired with their room-mates as buddies and they help to look out for each other. The number of seniors per unit is determined by the rental unit's configuration, the seniors' mobility status and the use of assistive devices, such as a wheelchair.

Having three seniors staying together raises the level of mutual support, which is important as Senior Group Homes are not designed to provide round-the-clock care. Such a configuration also takes into account the eventual demand for places as our population ages. But having said that, the Senior Group Home operators are also learning from the actual experience. This is a relatively new set-up that we have put in place and we will look at feedback and what we are learning from it. As we operationalise the scheme, if necessary, we will make adjustments along the way.

Seniors with special needs who are eligible for HDB public rental housing and are also suitable for communal living can be supported in the Senior Group Home. There are currently visually-impaired seniors in the Senior Group Homes. The Senior Group Homes are unable to support adults with moderate disabilities as there is no round-the-clock supervision.

For adults with special needs whose families are no longer able to look after them, MSF will take their care needs into account and help to site them in the appropriate residential setting, such as an adult disability home.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for his responses. I have actual feedback from residents who are living in these Senior Group Homes or assisted living models that the arrangement where there are three tenants in one rental flat vs two tenants in a typical rental unit is really very crowded, especially, as the Minister has said, if wheelchairs are involved, and in the sharing of common facilities like the toilet in the rental unit. So, I would really appreciate it if the Minister could take a look and examine this model again to see if this can just be on par with the occupancy number in a typical HDB rental flat and when it can be done.

For the next question, feedback received on the Senior Group Home as an assisted living model is actually very good. I would like to ask the Minister to see if it can formally develop and incorporate this as one of the additional models in the continuum of residential living for adults with special needs, and not just seniors. And also to ask when the Minister can look into this and give us a response in the sector.

Third, there is also review that the current outcome of the Senior Group Home scheme does not seem to be as popular or as favourable as expected when it was first conceived and launched. Perhaps the Minister would like to share his views on this.

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary questions and clarifications.

Firstly, with regard to occupancy numbers, I have visited the Senior Group Homes and have also spoken to the residents there. I understand the concerns with regard to flat size. The flats do vary in size and layout, and also, when there are wheelchairs and walking aids involved as well, we will have to take that into consideration.

The idea is this: in a regular rental flat, you have two people living in the flat and these are largely able-bodied individuals. The Senior Group Homes are meant for those who need some assistance and we feel that, with three, there might be the possibility of providing better mutual support. But having said that, we are taking on board various feedback and we are completely open to reviewing this. This is ongoing.

Secondly, adults with special needs. So, not only just for the elderly, but whether this is a possible model for adults with special needs. This is something that we are open to look at. As mentioned, for the elderly space, we are looking at a whole range of different possibilities. Some of these ideas may or may not work, but we want to try them because the numbers will be quite significant. Managing of numbers and space allocation would be important, but we will experiment with the different possibilities.

For the special needs sector, not just for the elderly, as the Member mentioned, for adults with special needs, we will be quite happy to explore what are some of these options that we think might be useful for adults with special needs and whose families may not be able to look after them. We will be quite happy to engage the Member if she has specific ideas. Let us see where that goes.

Lastly, in terms of the outcomes for the Senior Group Homes model, why does it not seem quite so popular? Well, it is relatively new. We reckon that there is a possible need for the Senior Group Homes, but the take-up rate has not been overwhelming. We do have spare spaces, but that could be the result of this being a relatively new sort of arrangement that we are putting in place. We are looking at this to review whether we need to adjust it; whether a better model needs to be put in place.

It is still early days yet. We are reviewing, together with MOH, the range of possibilities. It is not all cast in stone. We are open to new ideas as well, because I think providing support for our ageing population in various forms and at various stages of their own ageing process is very important. So, this is something that will be reviewed.