SINGAPORE: Experts in the field of ageing said a
mindset change is needed in Singapore when it comes to the
elderly.
Taking a lesson from Europe, they said Singapore
needs to learn how to value their elderly and view them as
productive.
These were some suggestions raised by experts from
Asia and Europe on the sidelines of a forum on active ageing.
Associate Professor Angelique Chan from National University of
Singapore's Department of Sociology said that unlike Europe,
Singapore has to face an ageing population in a short amount of
time.
By 2030, one in five Singaporean residents will be aged 65 and
above.
Researchers said a rapidly ageing population in Singapore has
challenged attitudes towards the elderly.
For example, this was seen in the Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY)
syndrome, when several residents protested against the construction
of eldercare facilities in their neighbourhood earlier this
year.
Associate Professor Chan said: "If you go to the European context
and you look at how European elderly are regarded, you will see
they are very much seen as human beings, as people, who actually
want to live their lives as fully as possible, and be involved in
society as fully as possible.
"I think we are still very far away from that in Singapore. We tend
to isolate our older people. We don't let them work past the age of
65 and a lot more needs to be done."
Associate Professor Chan added that employers need to understand
that older people are still productive - a perspective which has
worked well in Europe.
Dr Alan Hatton-Yeo, who is chief executive of Beth Johnson
Foundation UK, said: "We are moving now towards much more flexible
models of retirement where people may leave the workplace over a
number of years. They may become part-time workers but start to do
voluntary work… continue to be involved in things, continue to feel
valued and participate are really important.
"I think that has been a really significant change for us in
Europe. We value our older people much more now than we would have
20 years ago and recognise they have got a great deal to offer to
society."
The Beth Johnson Foundation was established to develop new
approaches to ageing that link practice, policy and research.
This is a direction the government hopes to take.
In his opening address at the forum, Acting Minister for Social and
Family Development, Chan Chun Sing, said: "Today, our mental model
is that we teach our young all that we want to do in their early
years. It is a very intensive teaching and learning in the first 20
to 25 years of their life. And thereafter we unleash them to the
working world as if we they will be ready for the rest of their
life.
"Maybe we have to rethink how we actually promote a culture of
lifelong learning, how we design our modules whereby people of all
ages can progressively pick up new skills, as we go along."
Mr Chan also noted that while Singapore can learn lessons from
other countries when it comes to active ageing, it is important
that they are applied in context.
He said that a "one-size fits all" solution does not work, and that
even in Singapore, different constituencies have different
needs.
- CNA/fa