SEVERAL PILOT INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY

We agree with Mr Shalom Lim Ern Rong (Housing plea for younger adults with disabilities, Aug 21) that persons with disabilities (PwDs), including those who are younger, should live and age well with supporting care services.

The Community Care Apartment scheme was designed to help seniors with low to moderate care needs age independently. They are not customised to meet the needs of PwDs, who may be better supported through other housing and care options.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development is working with SG Enable on several initiatives to support PwDs to live independently within the community. These include the Enabled Living Programme (ELP) and Home Support Programme (HSP) pilots. The pilots aim to support PwDs with low to moderate support needs to live independently in their own homes, with support services that can be flexibly tailored to their needs. Through the pilots, we will learn how these services can be organised and delivered to support PwDs across housing types, living arrangements, and a range of disability needs.

There are also support and services available, ranging from home-based services to caregiver subsidies and residential care, to support PwDs and their families. Further information on ELP, HSP and other support options may be found at SG Enable’s EnablingGuide.sg.

SG Enable has reached out to Mr Lim to share more about the ELP and HSP pilots.

Tan Zhi Xu
Director (Successful Ageing), Ageing Planning Office
Ministry of Health

Li Zheng
Director (Homeownership), Housing Division
Ministry of National Development

Stephanie Sim
Director (Enabling), Family and Child Development
Ministry of Social and Family Development