SINGAPORE - A new therapy centre, offering physiotherapy, occupational, speech and language therapies for adults, has been set up in Bukit Timah Community Club.

The THK Therapy Space was officially opened on Friday (April 8). It is the second therapy centre set up by charity organisation Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities (THKMC) and has been in operation since May last year.

The centre, funded by the Ministry of Health, aims to make therapy services more accessible and convenient to nearby residents. More than 80 per cent of the centre's clients live in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

Madam Ng Tian Lian, 80, who suffers from lower back and leg pain from a fall she had 20 years ago, used to go to Alexandra Hospital for physiotherapy. She used to take more than an hour to get there by public transport, and so relied mainly on taxis. Since the Bukit Batok resident started getting her therapy sessions at THK Therapy Space three months ago, her travelling time has been halved, and she has been taking the bus there for therapy twice a week.

The centre currently sees about 20 clients like her every week.

Apart from therapy sessions, the centre also offers free assessments of its clients' strength, balance and their overall ability to function at home and in the community. The services are available to anyone above 18 years old.

Ms Ng Wei Kee, 40, the centre's branch manager, said: "We want to welcome any elderly who feel that they need assessment, so that they can make sure that their health is maintained. Our goal at THK is to ensure that they can stay healthy while in the community."

The divisional director of THKMC's therapy services division, Mr Richard Tan, said: "Many seniors think that aches and pain are a necessary part of ageing, and they are unaware that many of the conditions they are suffering from are treatable through proper therapy. We hope to bring about an awareness that therapy can help them improve their quality of life."

THKMC also has another therapy centre in Ang Mo Kio.

Ms Sim Ann, adviser to Bukit Timah Grassroots Organisations, who was at the Bukit Timah centre's opening ceremony, said: "It's about making sure that the information is available, and that it is communicated to the community in a way that's easy to understand."

She added: "The centre fills a gap in terms of the support that we can give to residents who may face issues dealing with their mobility, joint health or muscle strength. This is very important in an ageing society, and is an issue that I hope we can give more prominence to."