IT IS sad to hear that old folk are being exported abroad or dumped in nursing homes, with hardly any visits from their relatives or family members ("Singaporeans pack JB nursing homes"; March 15, and "Is Grandma destined for export to JB?"; April 9).
When undertaking a Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme exercise, perhaps the HDB could consider piloting a concept plan where blocks of residential units are linked to a central block of nursing homes.
A connecting walkway could be incorporated at intervals, so that residents can walk over to visit their parents.
There are many advantages to this scheme.
The cost of building nursing homes could also be reduced considerably for operators by offering them short-term leases of, say, five years.
There could also be shared recreational, communal and medical spaces to minimise cost.
The convenience and cost factors are all addressed without the need to export our seniors to foreign soil.
Eventually, any country will put a stop to the practice of foreigners sending old folk to their country, either through legislation or fiscal measures. So, this is not a sustainable solution.
Christopher Tang Wei Ling
