A lone TV set, two mattresses, a rice-cooker, stove and an electric fan are all 86-year-old Ham Lem Seng has in the one-room flat he calls home.

There are about 4,000 lonely and often elderly people like Mr Ham in Singapore. They spend their twilight years in one-room rental flats, self-contained units, which cost S$26 to S$36 a month to rent. Almost 2,200 among them are old people who are unable to work, have no family support and they get by on monthly Public Assistance payments from the Government.

Singapore City, Singapore.

Read articles in New America Media category: Health and Asian