AN upcoming nursing home in Ang Mo Kio has been designed to feel more home-like compared to existing models.
Visitors to the residential facility which is scheduled for completion in 2017 will be greeted by an apartment style set-up that encourages residents to live independently like in their own homes. The facility has been designed with a common dining and activity area that lead to sleeping quarters that are tucked away.
For those who prefer to have some private time, cosy corners will be scattered about where residents can read, nap or just watch the world go by. Adding to the tranquillity is a garden that also gives residents with green fingers a chance to potter about.
Building the facility this way affords some degree of privacy yet promotes social interactions amongst the residents. It also encourages residents to go about their daily activities with as little help as possible. This will help them adjust more quickly to life back home when they recover and return home.
To cater to this group, Ren Ci Hospital will test out new short-stay services at this facility. The services will care for seniors waiting for care arrangements to be made at home or who require some assistance while their conditions are being stabilised after a hospital discharge.
Says Ms Loh Shu Ching, CEO of Ren Ci Hospital: “We want residents to feel that they are at home and not in a hospital. We also want them to lead independent, dignified lives regardless of their functional status. In addition, we feel a nursing home should be integrated with the neighbourhood and serve the needs of the community as much as the residents of the home. Hence the creation of a household unit layout and a nursing home without a fence.”