Ms Nancy Lim, 73, has lived alone for more than 20 years – and she loves it that way.
“You can do whatever you want,” said the retiree. “If you’re staying with somebody else, you can’t do what you want all the time.”
Ms Lim used to live with her father in a four-room flat in Serangoon before he died in 2003. She has never married and has no children.
“If I forget my towel after bathing, I can just walk out – I don’t have to bother (about covering up). Of course, my blinds are closed,” she added.
Finding it difficult to maintain her previous four-room flat, she bought a senior-friendly flat just down the road five years ago. Ms Lim said she liked the unit as it came with built-in cabinetry along with grab bars in the bathroom and other areas.
Despite living alone, her life is far from solitary and sedentary.
Ms Lim had thought that retirement six years ago would mean a slower pace of life after years of working as a garment merchandiser, which often involved bi-annual trips to Germany and quality control checks. But even after stepping back from work, her days remain filled with non-stop activity.
Mondays start with meridian tapping therapy at the community centre, followed by afternoon sewing sessions and then the occasional drone-flying session at Bishan Park in the evening. Tuesdays are busy with chair Zumba and line dancing, sometimes in preparation for public performances.
On Wednesday mornings, Ms Lim can be found line dancing at the Bless Community Services centre in Yio Chu Kang before heading for stretching classes in Serangoon north.
“I have to keep myself busy as I age,” said Ms Lim. After she hurt her arm last year and couldn’t exercise for nearly two months, she said her muscles had noticeably atrophied.
Although Ms Lim is close to her nine siblings, she has never considered moving in with any of them as they all have their own families.
“Even though I don’t have a spouse or children, I have many friends. I (am close to) my nephews and nieces and they’re all very helpful,” she said.
“I’m not lonely and I don’t feel that I’m lacking anything. The most important thing is to take care of my health,” Ms Lim added. She takes medication for high-blood pressure but is otherwise healthy.
Another senior who enjoys living alone is 77-year-old Madam Lim Seng Whay (no relation to Ms Nancy Lim).
Her husband died suddenly in 2007 of an arterial blockage. In 2016, her youngest son and his family moved out of her three-room Bukit Batok flat, leaving her on her own.
The mum-of-three said that once she was by herself, she felt like a “butterfly”, free to spread her wings and join the activities organised by the Residents’ Network and active ageing centres as she pleased.
“I flew and flew,” said Mdm Lim of her new chapter in life.
Now, she spends her mornings exercising and afternoons having lunch with friends or volunteering to help other seniors in her community. Her three sons and their families frequently check in on her and spend time with her.
Although she maintains close relationships with them, Mdm Lim enjoys the freedom that living alone provides.
“You can do anything you want. But if you live with (your children), it can sometimes be inconvenient. You have to take care of the grandchildren, think about what to cook for them – it can feel like a kind of obligation,” said Mdm Lim.
