MOBILITY IS MORE THAN JUST TRAVEL
Cover Page : Elderly sitting on wheelchair
Name : Tan Phebe Christine Sutantio ( Leader / 1D )
Cathleen Marvella Soebianto ( Writer / 1D )
Li Mei Qi ( Recorder / 1F )
Module : Design Process
3D Design Programmes
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Lecturers in charge : Ang Chiat
Mickey Ho
Date of Submission : 16 February 2016
Wordcount : 946
Preface
Mobility has always been a major problem among the elderly. This issue covers a wide range of aspects. Those include how they move from one place to another, as well as their ability to“move” in the society as they getting older. Lower physical ability and health condition increase the mobility decline. Despite physical issue, another problem is the poor connection between one and another, which brought them to a crisis in social mobility.
Within these two issues, our group empathizing to the condition of the elderly in Singapore in their struggles and what they need for improvement. Thus, we would like to develop and elaborate ways to solve the problem through practicable design.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank our Lecturers, Ang Chiat and Mickey Ho who have given us guidance and advice throughout the making of the proposal.
Research Intent
Mobility Issues related to physical and social life of elderly are the main focus on our research. This topic encourages us through the report :
• To understand the difficulties in their daily activities outside and inside the house related to physical movement and social life
• To know what have been done to overcome the problems
• To know what other countries have done related to mobility among the elderly such as transportation and elder care centre
1.1 Poor Health Condition
Fig.1 : Elderly in poor health condition
Common problems that every elderly face, Health problems. As getting older our immune system decreases. There are just many kinds of diseases ready to attack the elderly. Not just physical health, but so is mental health. Having a hard time walking and doing daily activities could lead to injuries too, which sometimes could be really serious and causes death too.
Elderly should be careful with their surrounding also. They are very weak and fragile, and if anything could accidentally happen, like tripped and fall they could be sick and injured. And if they live alone, they would probably forgot about it and leave it be, which could make things even worse.
The elderly are now being surrounded by a modern world, and they are quite aware of that. Everything are moving fast and very advanced. We are developing new technologies everywhere. Most of our gadget, from communication like smartphones, laptop, pads, until house chores equipment and things that we have, had machine in it. Because people nowadays, we want everything fast and done in a blink of an eye. But, it is actually an issue for the elderly that technology is very advanced. The elderly are most probably, having trouble to be ‘up to date’ with the modern world, as aging slows them down from doing everything. The small old phone that they used previously is now nothing compared with the touch-screen smartphones that we had.
The elderly are usually lonely as their kids are working and have their own families to take care. They tend to feel alone and sad which could cause stress and depression which will affect their mental health. They could be crazy and having anxiety disorder.
Being old means physical condition would be worse. They tend to forget about things, and could forget to eat, drinking medicine, and doing things to keep them self clean and hygienic. Elderly will get sick often, and there are some diseases that are very common when old, they are Arthritis, Heart Disease, and Cancer. These all are a very serious diseases that would lead to death. Having someone to watch over and take care the elderly would be nice, because it will be saver for them in case anything bad could happen.
1.2 Transportation and Accessibility
Fig. 2 Senior Citizen using walkers
Fig. 3 : Senior Citizen get into the bus
Older people continue to have travel needs after retirement. Overall, as people getting older they make a fewer journeys, especially for those who no longer working. Mainly of the elderly find a difficult situation in walk journey and taking public transportation journey rather than self-drive. Depends on their need, driving is no longer be their first choice to travel due to their health condition and stamina.
In Singapore now, older people with poor physical ability mostly use motorised scooter or wheelchair to traveling. The problem occurred from the access to taking public transportation. One bus only fits for one wheelchair, and it’s impossible for more than one wheelchair to move in. When there were one wheelchair inside the bus, elderly in wheelchair must wait for the next bus arrive. This condition is inconvenient for them, improvement and new solution is needed to solve this problem.
1.3 Senior Citizen’ Corner
Fig. 4 Senior Citizen Corner condition around Serangoon Central
Fig. 5 Elderly captured sitting alone
As seen in many void decks in HDB Estates, Senior Citizen corner are facilitated for senior citizen to socialize. Those are the portraits of Senior Citizen’Corner in Serangoon Central HDB most of the time. This space around the neighbourhood were supposed to be a corner for the senior citizen to interact, but the condition now is different from the main purpose of it. However, an elderly captured was sitting alone. There are no board games or television provided therefore no people can interact with each other in this area.
Lack of initiative from each person in the neighbourhood made many of elderly facing a social mobility crisis.
1.4 Lack Knowledge of Technology
Fig. 6 Elderly and the usage of technology
Surely now the elderly’s use of internet and smartphones are increasing, but a lot of them are still having problems to use it. Elderly are probably not suitable with such an advance, and most of them are usually characterized as a technophobic which is a person who fears, dislike, and avoid technology. But that is not true, apparently a lot of elderly are willing to learn and use new technologies. Even though it is hard for them to adapt and use the technology that they are still new with.
Another thing that block the elderly to actually learn the new technology, is us. We are not willing to teach them how to use them, instead we think that it is really hard to teach them, and they will probably never understand anyway. People discriminates the elderly and this has been a culture in the society. But it is always possible to teach the elderly on how to use the computer, smartphone and any other gadgets. Since little kids nowadays can and knows how to use, they can learn and so does elderly.
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