Originally posted by maurizio13:
Poverty among Singapore's elderly makes it hard
for many to afford good food
By Eveline Gan, TODAY | Posted: 14 June 2005
1114 hrs
SINGAPORE : Two years ago, Mr Lee Yeow Keong was hardly more than
skin and bones.
Suffering from malnutrition and mild dementia, the 70-year-old
bachelor, who lived alone, got by with food given to him by
kind-hearted neighbours or social workers.
While many elderly people often have no idea what nutrition is, Mr
Lee understood the importance of having healthy and balanced meals.
But with his meagre takings of $25 a day from his part-time
jobs at bookstores and newsstands, he could not afford to eat
well.
Speaking to Today in Mandarin, he said: "I knew that it was
important for old people to eat nourishing food but by the time I
paid for other expenses like rent, there wasn't much money left for
buying nourishing food."
Despite living in a first world country, Mr Lee is not the only
elderly person in Singapore suffering from
malnutrition.
With the number of elderly people steadily increasing in Singapore,
geriatric malnutrition is on the rise too.
In 2001, 25 percent of patients aged 61 years and above at
Tan Tock Seng Hospital were found to suffer from
malnutrition.
I guess in 2007 with the increases in
cost of living, there will be more malnourished eldery
folks.
Geriatric malnutrition can be attributed to changes in lifestyles
and habits, medical, social or economic factors, as is the case
with Mr Lee.
Ms Anna Jacobs, director of Food and Nutrition Specialists Pte Ltd,
said: "The elderly are particularly prone to malnutrition because
they may experience a decreased sense of taste and smell,
loneliness, physical and mental handicaps, immobility and chronic
illnesses that lead them to consume an inadequate nutritional
diet."
Another factor contributing to the rising geriatric malnutrition
phenomena is the traditional perceptions towards food that some
elderly folks continue to have.
Ms Jacobs said: "Many of the elderly believe that some foods are
'cooling' or 'heaty'. In their search for food that does not
disturb the yin-yang balance, many stop or reduce consumption of
certain foods or avoid an entire food group."
While it is important for the elderly to be comfortable with their
food choices, they should also be provided with nutritious options
in a form that they will consume, she said.
According to Dr Stephanie Chee, a geriatrician and healthcare
management consultant with Geylang and Toa Payoh Senior Citizen's
Health Care Centres, it is relatively easy to spot a malnourished
elderly individual.
"You can determine whether an elderly is malnourished by doing some
blood tests, but usually you'll know by looking at the person," she
said. An example would be Mr Lee, who, by a twist of fate, was
referred to Geylang Senior Citizen's Health Care Centre by a social
worker after being diagnosed with cancer of the stomach.
"When he (Mr Lee) first came to us, it was obvious that he was
undernourished. He looked very frail and his movements were very
slow due to lethargy, one of the symptoms of malnutrition," said Dr
Chee. To prepare him, the centre's staff increased his nutritional
and caloric intake by putting him on a structured meal and
nutrition program.
He was also given additional nutritional and vitamin
supplements.
One and a half years later, Mr Lee is nothing like his frail former
self. Despite his illness, the sprightly old man has put on some
weight, is able to take leisurely walks using his walking frame and
is always in high spirits.
Ultimately, Dr Chee feels that combating malnutrition amongst the
elderly should not be a one-off approach. Besides supplying the
elderly with a healthy and balanced diet, caregivers should also
ensure that they are kept mentally and physically healthy.
"Malnutrition is only one of the growing problems amongst the
elderly in Singapore.
"Care for elderly should be holistic. Generally, if they're happy
people, then such problems would not exist anymore," she
said.
A nutritious, inexpensive diet for the elderly consists of:
Normal diet
Breakfast 1 cup coffee/tea prepared with milk or 1 cup nutritional
supplement 1 whole meal bread sandwich with peanut butter Snack 1
small raisin bun Lunch 1 bowl noodle soup with fish slices and
green leafy vegetable 1 wedge watermelon Snack 1 bowl red bean soup
Dinner 1 bowl meat and vegetable soup 1 bowl cooked rice 1
palm-sized portion chicken 3/4 cup cooked vegetables 1 apple
Soft diet
Breakfast 1 glass soy milk 1 bowl oatmeal porridge prepared with
milk Snack 1small bowl tau huay Lunch 1 bowl mee sua with minced
fish and chopped spinach 1 wedge papaya Snack 1 cup nutritional
supplement Dinner 1 bowl meat and vegetable soup 1 bowl rice
porridge 1 palm-sized portion finely minced chicken/meat 3/4 cup
minced vegetables, 1 banana - TODAY
Source:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/152643/1/.html[/b]
So has the Swiss standard of living which this regime
shamelessly professed to aspire to fallen to such abject standards
that actually command a daily wage of just SGD25?
Or are some despots simply disconnected from reality and unable to
comprehend how far daily wages averaging SGD25 is lightyears away
from the average USD19.50 hourly wage in Geneva? 
