Much more thought needs to go into how Singapore can support the elderly.

I took my elderly mother to a recent Health Promotion Board road show in Tampines.

There were priority queues for the Pioneer and Merdeka generation visitors. But the floorboards in the tented area were uneven.

And when we were done, barricades had been put up at the entrance, which was closest to the taxi stand. To get to the taxi stand, the crowd had to get to the exit at the far end, and then walk along the road to circle back to the entrance.

Two young women manning the exit helped to walk my mother to the exit. By then, she was exhausted.

To make matters worse, while waiting for a taxi which the women helped us book, at least seven personal mobility devices zoomed past.

It is such minuscule details that are often overlooked that make a big difference to seniors.

There needs to be greater understanding as to what ambulant seniors need and find useful - from accessibility ramps to hand-holds for steps, and regularly spaced seating areas along walkways to more accommodation and flexibility in terms of closing off exits.

While things have improved for wheelchair users, the people who can still move about independently but tire quickly have been neglected.

It is one thing to encourage seniors to be more active and track 10,000 steps daily. It is quite another to ensure that they can move about safely, without falling.

Guan Xuemei