Khoo Teck Puat Hospital unveils new Kopitiam-themed patient lounge for elderly patients
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The lounge was designed in partnership with Kopitiam and features nostalgic touches like traditional Nanyang porcelain coffee cups and ubiquitous red plastic chairs.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Jemima Ryan
SINGAPORE – A group of seniors sat around a table chatting under the familiar red Kopitiam sign, a scene mirrored in many foodcourts and coffee shops across Singapore.
In this setting, what appear to be food and drink stalls are actually full-height decals replicating stalls found in a coffee shop. Instead of hawkers, nurses serve the seniors their pre-prepared meals and offer drinks like coffee, tea and soya milk.
This is Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s (KTPH) newly unveiled patient lounge. Found in Ward D77, an acute geriatric ward located within Yishun Community Hospital (YCH), it aims to recreate a familiar community space for patients during their stay.
The patient lounge was designed in partnership with Kopitiam, part of FairPrice Group, and features nostalgic touches like traditional Nanyang porcelain coffee cups and ubiquitous red plastic chairs.
Ms Yvonne Yap, 38, deputy director of nursing at KTPH and YCH and a 2025 President’s Award for Nurses recipient, initiated the revamp of the lounge, which was completed shortly before Chinese New Year in February 2026.
She highlighted that the lounge offers patients an alternative space to spend time with their families or friends. “It makes their stay a little bit more interesting and more meaningful, as they aren’t confined to their bedside and unable to interact with others,” she said.
Guests looking at gratitude notes written by patients and caregivers at the launch of the Kopitiam-themed patient lounge at Ward D77, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, on May 15.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Patients primarily eat their meals and receive visitors in bed within their wards. However, this can be disorienting for elderly patients or those with dementia, as they may be unfamiliar with a hospital environment.
“Getting patients with dementia to eat is always a significant challenge in hospital care, but we’ve observed that patients are now more willing to participate in meals when they’re in this familiar kopitiam setting,” said Ms Hazxel Tan, nurse manager of Ward D77.
Patients are brought to the lounge for lunch every Friday as part of their regular schedule and can also request to eat their meals there at any time. Patients and their loved ones can also choose to have their visits in the lounge rather than in the ward.
Representatives from FairPrice Group and KTPH at the unveiling of a plaque recognising the contributions of Kopitiam, part of FairPrice Group, on May 15.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The simulation of familiar places within hospitals to ease disorientation is not new to KTPH. In 2024, the hospital installed decals simulating bus shelters in its dementia ward, as well as a coffee shop setting in the geriatric outpatient clinic in 2019. The new lounge is likely to be joined by similar initiatives over the next two years, although no concrete plans are yet in place.
Mr Chang Hee Wah, 79, a retiree currently warded at KTPH, said that he was struck by the realism of the food stall decals and reminisced about his own experiences spending time with friends at his local Kopitiam.
KTPH patients sitting and chatting over lunch in the Kopitiam-themed patient lounge.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Kopitiam’s general manager Dennis Quek said: “At Kopitiam, we believe that food spaces are more than just places to dine – they are familiar, comforting environments that bring people together.”
This marks Kopitiam’s first collaboration with a local public hospital for such an initiative. While it has not disclosed any additional plans for similar projects, the company expressed a willingness to explore more meaningful collaborations with its healthcare partners in future.
