There are a variety of measures in place to ensure a comfortable and productive life for elders in Singapore. Due to the rapid development of Singapore as a nation, its ageing population has increased in size dramatically. As the dependent population of elderlies continues to grow, the burden of healthcare and infrastructure for the elderly increasingly falls upon the Singaporean government. There are many plans set up in place to ensure the best measures are taken to aid elderly people.
Elderlies often wish to be employable in their later life to maintain financial independence. They may also wish to partake in volunteer work and other charitable activities. They hope for educational opportunities, not just for skill building, but for personal development and for the improvement of their health. They wish to interact with society and aid the next generation; to gain respect but also receive advice from younger people. They also want access to high quality elderly care centres (ones like St. John’s home!) and community healthcare centres. Lastly, many may be interested in independence from their families so as to not be a burden to them; this means they will need access to senior friendly housing, transport, and public areas.
“In 1982 the Ministry of Health (MOH) set up the Committee on the Problems of the Aged. Its recommendations included the role of families in elder care; multigenerational living in public housing development; and the incentivisation of continued societal and economic contributions of the elderly. A “National Survey of Senior Citizens in Singapore” was conducted in 1995. The resulting 1999 report recognised the role of individual, family, community and state in elder care, and introduced the concept of “ageing-in-place”, which has guided subsequent policies until the present day.”*
With these policies as well as the new ideas people of Singapore come up with, the elderly will hopefully have a variety of opportunities and benefits for the rest of their lives.
*Rogerson, A., & Stacey, S. (2018). Successful Ageing in Singapore. Geriatrics, 3(4), 81. doi: 10.3390/geriatrics3040081
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