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You’ve got mail… and a home visit from the postman

SINGAPORE — Eighty-four year-old Mdm Thi Lai Lee’s face lights up when she sees neighbourhood postwoman Seah Seow Peng at the door.

Madam Seah Seow Peng's visits are part of SingPost’s Postman Home Visits, a year-long pilot programme involving seven active postmen volunteers that was rolled out in the Ang Mo Kio and Henderson districts.

Madam Seah Seow Peng's visits are part of SingPost’s Postman Home Visits, a year-long pilot programme involving seven active postmen volunteers that was rolled out in the Ang Mo Kio and Henderson districts.

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SINGAPORE — Eighty-four year-old Mdm Thi Lai Lee’s face lights up when she sees neighbourhood postwoman Seah Seow Peng at the door.

For the past year, Mdm Seah, 57, has been paying home visits to Mdm Thi and her sister Teh Lai Wan, 83, on top of her delivery rounds around Ang Mo Kio. She drops in on the sisters two to three times a week for up to 10 minutes each time.

Her visits are part of SingPost’s Postman Home Visits, a year-long pilot programme involving seven active postmen volunteers that was rolled out in the Ang Mo Kio and Henderson districts.

Social service agencies AMKFSC Community Services and NTUC Health SilverACE worked with SingPost to match the participating postmen with 11 seniors who were identified as “vulnerable” due to medical or social factors.

During her house calls, Mdm Seah makes simple observations about the seniors and fills up a checklist for the social service agency that gives a sense of the seniors’ mental and physical well-being, as well as requests that they have made. Photo: Nuria Ling/TODAY

The postmen visit one to three elderly persons residing within their mail delivery area each week.

During her house calls, Mdm Seah makes simple observations about the seniors and fills up a checklist for the social service agency that gives a sense of the seniors’ mental and physical well-being, as well as requests that they have made.

Although Mdm Thi and Mdm Teh are frail and have dementia, they chose not to stay in a nursing home.

“There is no freedom. All you do is eat and sleep,” said Mdm Thi.

The programme will be expanded to Yishun and Jurong next month. It will also cover a bigger area in Ang Mo Kio as four more postmen recently signed up as volunteers.

SingPost will progressively roll out the programme to all districts across Singapore.

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