Silver linings: in Southeast Asia, ageing is big business

Helen Fung’s home felt empty. After her husband died last October, she found herself rattling around a house in Singapore with only a domestic helper she could not get along with for company.

She turned down her children’s invitations to move to England, put off by London’s grey winters, and instead checked herself into an assisted living facility.

On a recent Monday afternoon in St Bernadette Lifestyle Village at Trevose Crescent, tucked away in the leafy residential estate of Bukit Timah, Fung celebrated her 92nd birthday.

Carers wheeled and walked eight fellow residents to the dining table before breaking into song. Goaded into a speech, Fung kept it brief: “I’m very happy to be here.”

The home, a refurbished two-storey bungalow, is one of a growing number of assisted living facilities springing up as Singapore’s population ages. The city state officially became a “super-aged” society this year, with more than one-fifth of its population over 65.

These facilities offer a much-needed middle ground for older people who can no longer live independently but do not require the round-the-clock medical care of a nursing home.

Staff help residents with daily tasks such as dispensing medication and writing letters, while some facilities include memory care units for those experiencing cognitive decline.