Nursing homes are rolling out measures to protect vulnerable residents as Singapore prepares for hazy skies. Some are installing air filtration systems and haze shelters, while others are adapting their premises to brace for worsening air quality.
Some are installing air filtration systems and haze shelters, while others are adapting their premises to get ready for an expected worsening of air quality.
Nursing homes are rolling out measures to protect vulnerable residents as Singapore prepares for hazy skies. Some are installing air filtration systems and haze shelters, while others are adapting their premises to brace for worsening air quality.
SINGAPORE: Nursing homes are rolling out measures to protect vulnerable residents as Singapore prepares for hazy skies.
Some are installing air filtration systems and haze shelters, while others are adapting their premises to brace for worsening air quality.
This comes as Singapore is expecting this year's dry season to be the hottest and driest since 2019.
The looming El Nino climate phenomenon, which brings lower rainfall and warmer temperatures, increases the risk of vegetation fires in the region that could lead to a higher chance of haze.
Nursing homes told CNA that they will work closely with the authorities to ramp up measures if needed, such as suspending outdoor activities and increasing water intake for residents.
ECON Care Residence on Henderson Road, for instance, has designated haze shelters fitted with air filters and exhaust fans to provide refuge for the most vulnerable residents.
The air filtration system in the shelters circulates fresh air in a closed loop, meaning that air purifiers are not required in these rooms and can be used in other areas of the nursing home.
“When the haze situation worsens, for example, when the PSI (Pollutant Standards Index) level goes above 150, that's when we will start to utilise the haze shelters,” said ECON Healthcare Group (Singapore)’s chief executive officer Ong Hui Ming.
“Typically we will care for seniors with chronic diseases, lung diseases and respiratory conditions in the haze shelter.”
Each purpose-built haze shelter is able to fit eight residents at any given time.
Other wards will be equipped with air purifiers and air coolers.
If the haze situation deteriorates, the nursing home will move outdoor activities indoors.
In a worst-case scenario, it will repurpose an air-conditioned hall to hold beds.
Some older nursing homes are also looking at turning rooms with air-conditioning into temporary haze shelters.
“We have identified areas or rooms with air-conditioning to be improvised haze shelters, because this nursing home is primarily built with natural ventilation in mind,” said THK Nursing Home director of operations Marcus Lee.
“These improvised shelters will allow us to provide some form of relief for residents who may be vulnerable or who may face irritation to their throats and so on. We will place them there for some comfort.”
The nursing home has also reviewed its contingency plans to consider the medical equipment that may be needed, he added.
“We need to know the quantity of the medical supplies that we need as well. So we have walked through the paces with our contractors, our nursing teams and operations teams.”
The nursing home has stocked up more than 20 air purifiers, 30 air coolers, and about 2,500 N95 masks.
Eye drops are also readily available for residents who may experience vision irritation during the haze season.
Besides getting their equipment and supplies ready, some nursing homes are stepping up the monitoring of vulnerable residents.
Mr Raj Kumar, head of operations at Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore), said it has identified high-risk residents, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure, and put them together “so that we have an eye on them” during the haze season.