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MEDIA RELEASE - MCYS UNVEILS FAMILY-FRIENDLY, PURPOSE-BUILT INTEGRATED DAY FACILITIES (IDFS)

MCYS today unveiled details of the new, purpose-built Integrated Day Facilities (IDFs), announced in March this year, which adopts a 3-in-1 approach benefitting the elderly, their families and the community. The IDFs will offer i) Integrated care for frail elderly, combining social day care, centre-based nursing, community rehabilitation and dementia care; ii) Service coordination to support families and caregivers and; iii) Community gyms and social space open to all residents.

 

2          Speaking at the launch of the Braddell Heights Town Night celebration, which also showcased the family-friendly hub being developed at the site of the old Serangoon Bus Interchange, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mdm Halimah Yacob, said, “We need to support our seniors to age-in-place. With the new IDF located at a convenient location, many families will benefit greatly. Families can now also spend quality bonding time exercising together in the community gym.”

 

3          Serangoon residents can look forward to the opening of the IDF in the second half of 2013.

 

 

4          While day care centres today take care of frail elderly, IDFs will be able to care for those who are more frail such as those in wheelchairs or with moderate dementia. But unlike day care centres today, IDFs will also provide centre-based nursing and community rehabilitation as additional services for the elderly. The additional services can be used on a sessional basis and are open to all elderly, including those who are not day care clients. The community rehabilitation services will be prescribed by qualified therapists. Elderly who do not need community rehabilitation can also participate in maintenance exercises to retain their physical and mental functionality.

 

5         The Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) will help families, caregivers and the elderly with information, coordination and referral services. In this way, the elderly can have appropriate care packages suited to their needs and those of their family or caregiver.

 

6          The larger IDFs will have the gym and social space open to the community for residents to gather and interact.

 

7          Up to 40 IDFs will be established to provide care for 6,000 elderly by 2016, at an estimated budget of $100m. Of these, 20 are expected to be new, purpose-built IDFs.

 

 

8          Co-located, but not within the IDF at the Serangoon site, will be the largest child care centre in Serangoon with a capacity of up to 220 children, including infants. This will help to meet the demand for child care services in the area.

9          Residents can contact CEL’s infoline at 1800-8585-885 or information@cel.sg for more information on the new purpose-built IDF.

 

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