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Apr 19, 2010
RETIREMENT VILLAGE
Pulau Ubin an ideal choice
THE Government should look into the possibility of creating a retirement village on beautiful Pulau Ubin. I am sure it will be well received by senior citizens.
The small island, untouched by development, can be a resort-like green retirement village where the clean atmosphere, fresh breeze from the sea and lovely beaches will make for a healthy and relaxing environment in the golden years of life.
For families visiting their aged parents on weekends, it will be wholesome fun and a refreshing break from the chores of urban life.
The young can also spend the day on the island, cycling or going on a nature walk.
Jeffrey Tan
Apr 29, 2010
Retirement villages not best way for S'poreans
MR JEFFREY Tan ('Retirement village: Pulau Ubin an ideal choice') and Miss Angeline Elysia Tan ('The hope') meant well on April 19 about introducing retirement villages for senior citizens.
Certainly, more can be done for senior citizens to have a meaningful and wholesome life in their twilight years.
But the idea and concept of placing them on an island or in a village is not one that should even be considered, no matter how well we develop such a place with easy accessibility for visits thrown in.
At a time when we are encouraging our young to be filial and look after their ageing parents, conveniently packing their parents off to an island or village is not the solution. Spending quality time with their parents and looking after their welfare is.
And because many today are all too often busy with their career and own family, it makes more sense to live with, or at least be near, their parents.
It may be true that senior citizens will benefit from the peace and tranquillity of an island or a village.
However, by the same token, it will ultimately detach them from their family and the Singapore they worked so hard to help build.
Victor Khoo
'Why not Sentosa?'
MS TAN ENG LIAN: 'Pulau Ubin reminds me of Alcatraz. The one-time island prison off San Francisco, California, was a place where hardcore criminals were banished, ultimately dying a lonely death. If we want a retirement village, why not Sentosa? It is a resort island and who else deserves it more than our senior citizens? While there is peace and quiet in such a village, senior citizens can access a resort brimming with life and bright lights as well. The aged will cherish their golden years even more. Their children and grandchildren will have good reasons to visit them too. A retirement village must be a place where people can look forward to living happily, not a forgotten island where they may feel they have been dumped. Better still, if we provide comfortable homes for the aged, rebuilt and renovated, at all suitable void decks, those who do not live in retirement villages can enjoy the option of living nearer their loved ones.'
'HDB estates should incorporate retirement villages.'
MR SAY KIN TONG: 'I am 52 years old and when I retire I would prefer to live in a retirement village within an HDB estate. As one ages, one prefers living in a community of all ages, not alone with a group of elderly people waiting to see who dies first. HDB estates should incorporate retirement villages so elderly people can live among young families, particularly their own. The villages need not be complicated. The first few levels of blocks in an estate can be designated the village. When elderly citizens are ready to move in, the change will not be traumatic because they will still be in a familiar neighbourhood. The Government will save on land resources as well.'
'No Pulau Ubin for me.'
MS TAN LEE KHENG: 'My vision of a retirement village is a place where I can live on my own yet when I step out of my home, there are people (eventually friends) of my age to socialise with. Like-minded people who think nothing of telling the same stories over and over. Stories our children are sick of hearing yet again. Play mahjong or computer games, or line-dance with friends, happily laughing at our mistakes, arthritic fingers and stiff bodies. We will be in our league. I expect to be able-bodied, and perhaps take a bus or train to visit my children when I feel like it. Maybe go window shopping or have lunch with friends outside the retirement village. Maybe baby-sit occasionally. A retirement village should give me and my grown children privacy and freedom, and accessibility to each other and facilities. A 365-day dose of beach and nature would be suffocating. So no Pulau Ubin for me.'
21 comments:
From the the given post, I have to say that I myself truly do not agree to have any retirement village for the elderly.
Indeed it is true that Singaporeans are too busy nowadays to even entertain their own family members. But I believe that leaving the elderly at a retirement village is very inappropriate. Repaying the elderly, whom have given us food, shelter and education is absolutely not fair. No one should be left with everyone of the same age around their surroundings.
Everything should be of balance, people of all ages, races, religions and such. Even if the old folks are left at sentosa or Pulau Ubin by their own children, family members may deliberately not visit their parents, seperating the elderly form their grandchildren and vice versa.
Therefore, in my opiion, elderly shuld not be left at any retirement village even if it is for the convenience of the children as it is their responsibility to take care of their parents.
NANA 1045A
I think though it sounds like a good idea,children should take care of their own parents.The retirement villages should just be a place to visit for leisure.
In my opinion the idea of having the first few levels of a HDB flat designated for retirement villages is a good idea. With the exception that the elderly should give up their previous homes when they are ready to move out to accomodate more people. This may help improve the situationof the scarcity of land here in Singapore.
With regards to the blogpost above, I would agree that Retirement villages is not the best way for Singaporeans. Despite living in a fast paced society, it is certainly inappropriate that people are simply too busy with their lives that they start sending their parents off to an island or village. I believe that the last thing that most senior citizens want is to be detached from their family, therefore I would think that the idea of having the retirement village within an HDB estate with the option of living near the senior citizens' loved ones is considerable.
I guess it's not a good idea of creating the Pulau Ubin for the aged as it will separate them from their own children. The senior citizens needed love and concern from their children and would definitely want to spend the few moment of their light years with them. Therefore, this idea is quite conttroversial for thet aged.
sounds like a good idea to me
why not?
let's show the elder that we are filial to them once in a while.
Also that when we're also at our golden age, we are privileged to enjoy this retirement village.
How nice will it be?
At least relaxing in open environment is better than sitting indoor doing nothing which will be boring
i believe that what the elderly want most is the love, care and support of their children and grandchildren. by sending them to some island away from their loved ones, they are being deprived of the chance to live with their children. although this idea may be proposed with a good intention, it will not be accepted by the community. this idea is similar to sending the elderly to a old folks home, only a more fanciful version of it.
The person who thought of this idea may have good intentions but detractors may say that the retirement villages is a hospice for elderly people instead.
yes the aged should recieve priveleges like this. we as juniors should come up with more fascilities to benefit the aged population.
most important thing that the aged want are actually having their children respecting them and being filial to them. thus, instead of building more fascilities for the aged, we can have more campaigns and education on teaching children to respect their parents.
From my point of view, I feel that the aged should not be isolated from the society, whereby it is actually a blatant form of discrimination against them. The stereotypical mindset whereby the aged are weak and frail; being usesless is still prevalent of today.
Also Asians are known to be extremely filial to their elders, whereby they make use of their lifetime to repay them.
Furthermore, this form of isolation is detrimental to the aged, as they are deprived from the current state affairs, making them to be more prone to diseases like Alzheimers.
I dont think the elderlys would actually perfer living alone / just with a group of elderlys...
I believe they are humans just like us, young or old, wished to be with our family.
To contribute to our family or soceity in various small or big ways and feel useful.
And at the same time, realise the care and concern of our family.
The government should think carefully about the advantages and disadvantages of it carefully. whether it would benefit the families of the elderly and other.
Living on Pulua Ubin would be great. The tranquility on the island is not something we can always experience in Singapore. Furthermore, the 'pace' on the island is slow, we can take our time in doing things we like, example fishing.
I disagree as the children should have take care of their parents rather than just visit them eevery weekend. Besides, Singaporeans are very busy currently and they may not have the time to go visit them eventually neglecting them.
Although it may be or sound like a good idea because the senior citizens can relax for the rest of their life, I still believe that the senior citizen would want to live with their children more.Like what the article say:"At a time when we are encouraging our young to be filial and look after their ageing parents, conveniently packing their parents off to an island or village is not the solution. Spending quality time with their parents and looking after their welfare is." Hence i feel that it is not the best way.
I think that such an idea is not something to be compromised. Although it does have benefits to some extent, implications may arise from the perspective of the elderly where they may be obliged to such am idea. It may also spark a dispute on human rights worldwide.
I think that the retirement village is not any different from an old age home. To me, the retirement villageis actually worse off. It'll be difficult for their loved ones to visit them and they are being faced with old age and death every second.
In my opinion i have to disagree to the idea of sending old folks to pulau ubin. I think it is important that we spend their last remaining years with them instead isolating them on an island where it is inevitable that they will start to feel distant from loved ones.
The idea of a retirement village may be a comforting thought for the elderly. However having them sent to an island off mainland may result in a drastic change in the environment they live in. I do not think that they want to be left forgotten on an isolated island away from their family, friends and the society.
Although having a retirement village sounds good for the elderly to stay and enjoy the scenery, but, sending the elderly to that place is not a filial thing to do. Taking care of the aged is everyone's responsibility, hence, I agree with other people, no Pulau Ubin retirement village, please.
i feel that retirement village is a good plan.after so many years of hard life they can go there to enjoy their golden life
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