Abstracts Category : Other

PLANNING, DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC NURSING HOME IN SINGAPORE :

by SENG KEE CHAN

It is a worldwide norm that when a countrys political, social and economic system change, its healthcare system, including its public nursing homes and facilities, will also inevitably and invariably be changed. Singapores three immediate priorities, at the start of independence in 1965, were to gain international recognition for its independence; to plan a strong defense that would defend this piece of real estate; and thirdly to energize the economy on how to make a living for our people. The Minister for Health at that time, Yong Nyuk Lin stated the situation clearly and bluntly: Health would rank, at the most, fifth in order of priority for public funds.Singapore celebrated its 50th birthday in 2015 and its greater affluence brought about higher level of demand on needs, wants and expectations. The demand is further compounded by the rapidly aging society, smaller family size, the growing longevity of its population, the emergence of new generation of residential users, shifting of stay in hospital wards to home stay and the surfacing of the filial pietys issue.The study sets itself to examine Singapores past years of achievements and shortcomings on healthcare, especially in public nursing homes, within its growth from third to first world economy. It tackles the issues of planning, design and management of nursing homes within Singapores welfare-framework in its multiethnic society, its urban fabric of medium and high rise buildings and its high dependency on foreign caregivers for the elderly.A case-study of the new 7-storey 300-bedded high-rise psychiatric nursing home is made as Governments primary objective and aim to create a new model of a built-environment. It had to meet the challenges and to gain the benefits from the participating collaborative efforts of the residents, caregivers and care-providers. Comparative case study of other local and foreign cases is also made to learn the good efforts achieved towards higher excellence in healthcare built environment.The study concludes with the documentations of all the findings and contributions within each governing parameters and also the responsibility of all and different stakeholders. It makes recommendations base on an honest appraisal of myth and magic of the Built-Environment of public nursing homes in Singapore. Finally, it discusses the societal issues that affect the planning, design and management these homes and the politics that govern them. / In Architectural Planning and Urban Design System Research Group Division, Department of System Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Mie University 218p