HDB is reviving a plan first thought off some 22 years ago ( 1987 ). That is to get children and parents living next to each other.
The purpose is hopefully to create a close relationship between parents and children.
End results maybe just the opposite.
Ultimately what the authorities hope to achieve is maybe to cut down building of nursing homes. As it is today, there are close to 70 of them in Singapore catering for the elderly sick. More are necessary if young Singaporeans are sending their elderly sick parents to nursing or old folks home.
In 1987, close to 400 units were built but due to poor demand for such designs, the plan was scrapped. Today HDB starts all over again. The question is " CAN IT WORK " ?
The answer : If parents are still young, working, economically viable, no sickness, independent.
The scheme is first-class. A studio flat attached to either a four or five room HDB flat.
On the other hand : If parents are retired, sick, bed bound with tube feeding, on diaphers, suffering from dementia, then it is going to be a nightmare living next door. If this is the case, nurses working 24 hours with medical facilities is the only answer. There is no way, non medical working children can handle such situation.
So where is HDB heading ? Can our children replace nursing home medical staff to look after our elderly sick ?
