SINGAPORE - What began as an ordinary trip to the bathroom in November last year ended in agony for Mr Sim Kok Keng, 72.
The Woodlands resident heard a 'crack' and felt a sharp pain when he stood up after using the toilet in his flat. Doctors later said that his left heel bone had split open.
While the retired vegetable seller had always found it difficult to walk after contracting polio as a child, the injury made it tougher for him to move around.
But a recent flat upgrading last month (Nov 2016) provided timely assistance.
Mr Sim and his wife Jenny Koh, 64, were one of 105,500 households to have applied for the Enhancement for Active Seniors (Ease) programme as of last month (Nov 30).
The scheme, launched in July 2012, allows home owners to equip their flats with elder-friendly fittings such as grab bars, slip resistant tiles and ramps, especially in areas such as bathrooms.
According to the HDB, some 42,200 households have applied for Ease directly, while another 63,300, including the Sims, opted for it through the Home Improvement Programme (HIP).
"It's much more convenient to go to the toilet now," said Mr Sim, who now moves around with the aid of a walking stick.
Madam Koh agreed: "We used to put three plastic stools in the restroom so he could hold on to them.
"But the grab bars are much safer. And the ramps also have a good grip which is good because the toilet floor is usually wet."
Introduced in 2007, the HIP helps residents address common maintenance problems related to ageing flats, such as spalling concrete and the replacement of pipe sockets with new laundry drying racks.
These "essential" improvements are fully paid for by the Government.
Optional components under the scheme include those under Ease, as well as toilet upgrades, a new front door, gate and refuse chute hopper, which the Sims also opted for. The Government subsidises between 87.5 per cent and 95 per cent of the cost of these optional improvements for Singapore citizen households, with more help given to smaller flats.
This means that while the Ease budget per flat is $2,500, these households pay only between $125 and $312.50 depending on their flat type.
Only flats built up to 1986 that have not undergone the Main Upgrading Programme are eligible for the HIP. Works will proceed only when at least 75 per cent of a block's eligible households have voted in favour of the HIP.
The scheme has proven popular, with an average support level of 90.1 per cent based on a poll, the HDB said.
About 220,000 flats have been announced for the HIP so far. Works have been completed for about 74,000 flats and are in progress for another 93,000 homes.
As of March this year, the Government has spent about $1,470 million on HIP and $30 million on Ease.
It is expected to spend another $464 million on HIP and $19 million on Ease by March next year (2017).
