Saturday, June 26, 2010

My room for the elderly

This is the overview of the room. It is a bed room. I tried to keep the colours soothing to the elderly.
This is the table and chair for the elderly if he/she wants to write somethings (like 4D, Toto etc). The lighting there has translucent material for the light to shine pass. Within those are actually light sticks and there will be a switch to determine its level of brightness. The chair is unique in the sense that it will first be quite short, so that the elderly can sit on it properly. Then if the elderly wants the chair to go higher, he/she can just pull the lever at the other side and the side will rise up. It is 4 legged as normally the elderly don't like chairs with wheels. And if there are wheels, it'll be more dangerous. When they want to lower the chair down, they just have to pull another lever and it will go down.
This is the bed designed specially for the elderly. There is a compartment to put slippers (if the elderly wears them) before the elderly goes to sleep. There are more compartments to put her things there. The rails at the side are to prevent the elderly from falling down while sleeping accidentally. They can be easily pushed down when the elderly wakes up.

This is the Cupboard for the Elderly to keep his/her stuff inside. It has four compartments, but many openings. This makes it easier for the Elderly to search through his/her things, if he/she forgot where she put her things.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 4

The elderly need to move around more. But when they move around they wont find anything interesting and such. So in my family, we try to bring my grandmother around more, to temples, to parks, to visit relatives etc. My cousin, age 14, comes to my house every weekend for her tuition with my brother as well to keep my grandmother accompany. Since young, my grandmother was the one who took care of her, so the bond was deeper. We kept my grandmother entertained like that. But during the weekdays, almost everyone is not at home then she'll start to get bored. But during the weekends, we try to compensate her. I personally encourage families to bring their grandparents out. Even to NTUC, Sheng Shiong etc, it means quite a lot to them. Even to temple and stuff, just sitting down and spending time with them is also good.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 3



There should be parks etc near the house and stuff like these so that they have places to meet around. Void decks with tables, parks etc. I think that the Government should encourage Mahjong within the Community Clubs, but they will play without money, and maybe have other stuff instead. Like maybe will play for leisure but once in a while have a competition. It will help to exercise their minds and let them pass time, meet new friends etc. The Government should also encourage gardening. They can have pots of flowers, vegetables etc around the house.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 2



The floors of the toilet are wet after a bathe etc, then when the elderly enter the bathroom, it is very easy for them to trip and fall. When they fall, they might suffer serious injuries. So, to prevent things like that, we can either have handles around the bathroom making it easier for them, or else have a floor mat in the toilet also. Having a floor mat in the toilet makes it better in a way that the handle might not be able to withstand the weight if they trip or they wont get their feet way and leave foot prints all over the floor when they leave the bathroom.

Elderly Challenge - Observation 1


The elderly are cooped up at home and have nothing to do, but yet they are not willing to go to the community centers to take part in some of the activities and stay at home. But yet they are very bored and start to try to do some things like see what the others are doing, and making sure that I do my homework and things like that. They are really bored but have nothing to do. Is there a way to make sure that all types of the elderly (don't like to go out, likes sewing etc) can take part in at least one activity that can keep them occupied? Like for my grandmother, she like sewing using the old type of sewing machine, but there are hardly classes teaching them how to sew beautiful patterns on the blankets and bags and stuff. And even if there is, after they sew they have no where to bring it to, and it ends up at home. When there are getting more and more and we can find no one to give it away, it becomes a burden. They should have a course in the Community Club for the elderly to give all the stuff that they can make etc then they can help to give it to the needy etc.

ADMT Holiday Hmwrk Part 1

  • Explain in your own words, the FOUR key recommendations of the report.
- Housing for Seniors
The Government should try to support the idea of developing retirement housing, helping to let them buy a bigger land at a lower cost. It shall be made to cater to their needs, and make a more elderly friendly environment

-Accessibility for Seniors
The Town Councils should make all HDB flats barrier-free so that it is easier for people to move about, especially the elderly.
The LTA can also try to make the steps of the buses lower so that it is easier for the elderly to step on to and also make sure that it is easily accessible for those elderly with walking difficulties.

-Caring for Seniors
The Government should contribute by giving the elderly some money to make sure that they are at least able to cater to their medical needs. They should encourage the hospitals etc to link up with the ICS and give Community-based support Services. So that the elderly will feel more love and care towards them.

-Opportunities for Seniors
The Government should try to ensure that the family bonds with the elderly still stay strong and the family will be a pillar for the elderly when they are in need of assistance.
They should also try to have more public spots within the blocks and nearby parks etc for the elderly to meet up and talk, but they have to be convenient enough for the elderly to move about.
  • State ONE way that the CAI report is recommending to make our public housing more elderly-friendly.
BCA should promote universal designs to encourage architects and designers to build an environment that caters to all including the elderly, and create a barrier-free environment so that the elderly can travel about with minimal obstacles.
  • State TWO ways on how we can ensure that the quality of the elderly care here in Singapore is affordable.
Have some discount if the elderly comes with the family to pay for the goods so that the family will bring the elderly out to walk around more often. We can also have free monthly checkups and the Government should give a day off on that day so that they can accompany their mothers/fathers to the checkups, or else they might not even want to go.
  • After reading the CAI report, what are the three things that you, as a SST student, to help overcome these elderly challenges.
I can help by volunteering to take care of the elderly in the old folks' home, help the elderly whenever they have difficulties in certain areas which I could help and also help to organise activities to bring the elderly out of their house to explore Singapore all over again.