The seniors silently enduring chronic heat at home during this haze season

Singapore’s cooling centres may help during heatwaves, but some elderly face heat every day at home.

Members of the public queueing up to collect masks at Punggol 21 Community Club. The worsening haze makes life harder for seniors trapped in stuffy homes who are forced to shut windows to keep out the toxic air.

ST PHOTO: ZHAKI ABDULLAH

Published Oct 15, 2026, 01:00 PM

Updated Oct 15, 2026, 04:56 PM

Ming, 86, lives on a high floor of a rental block, where she would normally enjoy some breeze. The trouble is that her flatmate often keeps the windows shut and the fan off, and Ming is afraid to complain.

“I don’t use the fan for weeks,” said Ming. “If I feel a little breeze from the side, I feel okay. Now the weather is too warm. Sometimes when my flatmate is not around, I ventilate the house and hope she doesn’t see.”

新加坡的避暑中心或许能在热浪期间有所帮助，但有些老年人每天都要在家中忍受高温。

民众在榜鹅21民众俱乐部排队领取口罩。日益严重的雾霾让被困在闷热家中的老年人生活更加艰难，他们被迫关闭窗户以阻挡有毒空气。

照片：扎基·阿卜杜拉

发布于2026年10月15日下午1点

更新于2026年10月15日下午4:56

86岁的明住在出租公寓的高层，平时她很享受凉爽的微风。但问题是，她的室友经常关着窗户，不开风扇，明不敢抱怨。

“我已经好几个星期不用风扇了，”明说。“如果能感觉到一丝微风从侧面吹来，我就觉得挺好。现在天气太热了。有时候趁室友不在家，我会打开风扇通风，希望她没看到。”