Man Fut Tong Nursing Home, located at 20 Woodlands Street 82, is a home for the elderly and aged sick. It was founded in 1969 by the Venerable Shi Chin Yam (Ho Yuen Hoe), the abbess of Lin Chee Cheng Sia Temple.1 Venerable Shi had approached the government for help to expand the home, and she was granted with a 0.5-hectare plot of land in Woodlands on which to build a new nursing home.2
History
Man Fut Tong Nursing Home began life as the first Buddhist home for elderly women known as the Man Fut Tong Old People’s Home.3 This 22-bed home was located at Richards Avenue (Upper Serangoon Road area) before it moved to Woodlands.4 On 13 January 2002, the new S$10-million home was officially opened by then Minister of State for Health and the Environment Balaji Sadasivan.5 The Buddhist home welcomes the needy and sick from all races and religions as long as they meet the guidelines drawn up by the Ministry of Health.6
The four-storey nursing home costs about S$1 million a year to run, with 50 percent of the funds contributed by the home.7 To raise funds, the home organised a charity dinner on 5 January 2001 held at the World Trade Centre Exhibition Hall 3. Besides the ticket sales from the dinner, proceeds from auctioning Buddhist statues and amulets as well as Chinese calligraphy works by renowned local artist, Tan Swie Hian, also went towards the operational expenses of the home.8
In February 2004, then President S. R. Nathan was among 1,850 guests present to celebrate Venerable Shi’s 96th birthday at a grand party at Swissotel The Stamford. On this occasion, they helped raise S$350,000 for the nursing home.9
Profile
About two-thirds of the residents are above 75 years of age, and all suffer from at least one health-related ailment (physical or mental). About 60 percent of them need to be closely monitored, a situation where a home environment may not be suitable.10 About 25 percent of patients, for instance, have dementia. The home ensures that the patients are well looked after. It now has 232 beds after relocating its foreign staff out of the in-house dormitory.11
Man Fut Tong also offers short-term respite care of at least seven days, up to a maximum of 30 days per year. This respite allows care givers time to recharge and take a break with peace of mind while patients are being taken care of at the home.12
Variant name
Man Fut Tong Nursing Home is also known as Man Fut Tong Old People’s Home.13
Author
Jane Wee
References
1. “Contact Us,” Man Fut Tong Nursing Home, accessed 1 July 2016; Crystal Chan, “Venerable Shi Turns 96 with 1,850 Guests,” Straits Times, 12 February 2004, 3; “Last Respects,” Straits Times, 30 December 2006, S5. (From NewspaperSG)
2. Wong Kim Hoh and Tania Tan, “Abbess Who Devoted Her Life to Charity Dies,” Straits Times, 13 January 2006, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
3. “Our History,” Man Fut Tong Nursing Home, accessed 1 July 2016.
4. Chin Soo Fang, “Nun, 90, Named ‘Hero’ By Magazine, Straits Times, 5 December 1998, 68. (From NewspaperSG)
5. Man Fut Tong Nursing Home, “Our History.”
6. Chuah Yii Wen, “Home Helps Disabled Elderly Back on Their Feet,” Straits Times, 13 January 2007, 50. (From NewspaperSG)
7. Wendy Tan, “Dream ‘Home’ Come True for Abbess,” Straits Times, 31 December 2000, 23. (From NewspaperSG)
8. “Artworks to Go on Auction,” Straits Times, 5 January 2001, 7. (From NewspaperSG)
9. Chan, “Venerable Shi Turns 96.”
10. Chuah, “Home Helps Disabled Elderly.”
11. Salma Khalik and Maryam Mokhtar, “No Grouses about This Nursing Home,” Straits Times, 9 October 2012, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
12. Lim Bee Khim and Andy Seet, “Wide Range of Caregiver Support Services Available,” Straits Times, 16 November 2015, 20. (From NewspaperSG)
13. Braema Mathi, “She’s 90, and Busy Raising Funds for Old Folks’ Home,” Straits Times, 21 November 1997, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
The information in this article is valid as of 8 September 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
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