The NUS researcher, Ms Chia, made the point that programmes for seniors can also involve activities that showcase their skills and lived experiences.
“Instead of teaching them to do art or cook, why can’t we let our seniors teach us their homemade recipes?
“In Singapore, I think we tend to think of seniors as beneficiaries who need support. We should shift to a mindset where seniors have something to contribute and are respected members of the community,” she added.
“This will help our seniors to age with dignity.”
CONNECTING ACROSS GENERATIONS
In the case of the 98 Henderson Road tender, the site is located right next to the former Henderson Secondary School – a state property that’s been transformed into a space housing a childcare centre, nursing home, dialysis centre and urban farm.
This presents collaboration opportunities between the new co-living facility and the existing community, such as regular visits from young students from the childcare centre or even part-time jobs at the urban farm, said Ms Chia from Ageing Asia.
“At the end of the day, it’s about how a senior who lives there can have more access to a more engaging, healthier lifestyle with more social interactions.”
NUS’ Ms Chia noted an increasing trend towards intergenerational co-housing.
“People are realising that seniors and the young do have things that they can learn from each other and can support each other with,” she said. “It also makes for a much livelier environment.
For instance, Taipei’s Yang-Ming Senior Apartments rents out rooms to both seniors and university students. Students pay lower rent, as part of a move to encourage them to organise activities and interact with their senior neighbours, she said.
In Singapore, an assisted living facility with an intergenerational twist has been operating out of a two-storey shophouse along Joo Chiat Road for more than a year now.
The Joo Chiat Social Club, as it’s called, is currently home to eight seniors aged 67 to 92.
