GI reflects: Ageing with dignity

Note to readers: Starting with this article, we will periodically share our own reflections on topics that are of interest to our readers, thus hopefully raising awareness of aspects that often do not get the importance they deserve.  

 

Going forward, we hope to hear from you as well on topics that are of interest to you. Look out for this space. 

Singapore is an ageing society with people living longer and healthier lives. At 83.2 years, the country has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world.  

While this is a boon, it also has its dynamics at play with questions on the quality of life of the elderly and government policies. 

Our reporters share their first-person impressions about Singapore as an aged society, and we also have two views of how Singapore’s policies on ageing compare with what is being done in Paraguay in South America and in our southern neighbour, Indonesia.  

How much top-down do we actually need? 

Did anyone think that Singapore stood out as an anomaly among the six recognised Blue Zones in the Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones? 

Strong social connections, a well-balanced diet, physical exercise and a sense of purpose... To what extent can we “manufacture” all these success factors through deliberate policymaking? 

For Singapore, it’s not surprising that public policies and initiatives have been a key driver of putting us in the ranks.  

But I question if taking too much of a paternalistic approach is limiting the scope of active ageing and undermining the dignity of elderly people to decide how they want to lead the remainder of their lives.  

My own grandmother resisted being pressured to learn how to use a smartphone to communicate with her loved ones from abroad, or go to an active ageing centre to engage in drawing or drumming. 

She finds these suggestions of her doing these activities infantilising and dislikes being told how to live the rest of her life. But interestingly, she’s much more receptive to engaging in the same type of activities when she discovers them on her own. In other words, she does not want to be dictated. 

Moving to the other extreme, I’ve also seen the power of community-driven elderly engagement systems flourishing without a central organisation in Sicily, Italy. 

My partner’s father and elderly relatives have organised themselves to rehearse and perform theatre and arrange trips with the help of religious leaders.  

This highlights that many communities already possess their own embedded, functional systems for elderly engagement. 

They are informal systems that respond directly to the real-life needs and situations of a community – and this is where policymakers can gain valuable insights by studying these existing models to support them without being overly prescriptive. 

Effective planning for the complexities of ageing means shifting our perspective: Elderly people are not just passive beneficiaries, but rather the architects of their own ageing experiences. 

— Si Ying Thian 

Ageing: the unknown buzzword  

I did not know what active ageing was.  

When I first moved to Singapore, from Paraguay, I was surprised by how frequent ‘ageing’ was mentioned - in the news, ads, campaigns - and how many initiatives targeted seniors.  

My friends explained that it’s because Singapore is an ageing society.  

Singapore's national blueprint guiding active and confident ageing was launched a decade ago, backed with S$3 billion to support opportunities for seniors to “live well in a city where they can age gracefully and confidently in place”. 

The commitment of the Singaporean government toward empowering seniors and creating opportunities for the elderly to age with dignity continues to draw my attention, as I have never seen anything similar. 

These sorts of initiatives revealed a new reality for me, coming from a country where over 5.4 million out of 6.1 million are under the age of 65. In other words, about 8 per cent are 60 years or older, compared to Singapore’s 19.9 per cent. 

This brought its own set of dynamics; programmes in Paraguay were primarily targeted at the youth, and services were less accessible to seniors due to infrastructure or design.

Looking at it from a more pessimistic perspective, it’s as if we hadn’t been thinking about our seniors at all. Why create active ageing programmes when they can take walks on their own? 

But active ageing is more than just physical activities; it's about enabling more sociability and fostering a more vibrant environment for people as they age.  

I saw Zumba classes taking place in HDB void decks and wondered if my grandmother would join similar activities. When I asked her, she enthusiastically responded that she would go with her sisters if something similar happened where she lives.  

In the next 20 years, Paraguay’s elderly population is projected to double, reaching about 1.4 million, which calls for the country to start thinking strategically about how to better care for our seniors, particularly as the average age expectation is expected to rise to 84 years old.  

Countries like Singapore, with strong and continuously improving ageing initiatives can serve as an example for still-young populations as they prepare for the future. 

— Sol Gonzalez 

Treat the elderly not as a burden but as a resource 

An important component of ageing with dignity is financial security and the right to live in a society which is inclusive and respectful to the elderly. 

In Singapore, the government’s Age Well SG initiative supports active ageing with a host of social initiatives that are commendable.  

What is a harder nut to crack is providing financial security for old age. 

It's important to understand this is not just a question of the government framing the correct policies or providing financial aid. 

As a greater proportion of the population reaches 65 and above and moves away from the workforce, the indirect burden of supporting them falls on a narrow band of people who are in the working age population, which is generally defined as those between 15 years to 64 years of age. 

By 2050, the support ratio, that is, the number of working-age individuals supporting each elderly person, has been projected to drop from five to fewer than two in Singapore. 

Financially, this is very difficult to sustain.  

While there are no easy fixes, giving the elderly a chance to work longer partially tackles this problem.  

However, the human element remains important; jobs must give them a sense of dignity, it should not be the case of just working to put food on the table. 

This is where the challenge lies.  

Jobs are changing fast due to technology, which even young people find hard to keep up.

Can the elderly do so?  

How would a 65-year-old adapt to the mantra of continuous learning?  

In my view, while Singapore has done commendable work in creating an elderly friendly healthcare and social environment, it may now be time to concentrate on reskilling and upskilling our seniors, just like it is being done with mid-career professionals. 

The elderly don’t want to be treated like a burden but rather as a productive resource.  

 — Amit Roy Choudhury 

Ageing’s silver mirror to society 

Under Singapore’s refreshed healthcare strategy, the Healthier SG initiative was rolled out in July 2023, shifting the aim of curative to preventative health.  
 
This placed the emphasis on the proactive prevention of illnesses, by building up a holistic ecosystem of not only healthcare providers, but also wider community partners. 

Accompanying multi-ministry strategies launched, such as Age Well SG and Grow Well SG prompted an inward look at the support system required for the needs of a super-aged society. 

The Ministry of National Development is working with the Ministry of Transport to refresh physical infrastructure, while the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social and Family Development are collaborating on children’s health and well-being in the digital age. 

Amid these changes, what I’m curious to know is what the gaps that these policies are targeting has revealed about Singapore thus far. 

Ageing is clearly more than just a health issue, encompassing a multifaceted process of biological, psychological, and social changes. 

Social participation, physical and mental well-being, and continued learning have been identified as key factors that support seniors in leading healthy, engaged, and fulfilling lives. 

Conversely, to what extent has the lack thereof in such areas before ageing enters the picture hindered Singapore’s ability to age well? 

As a son with two elderly parents, I’ve witnessed how they’ve navigated their current life phase with the changes in their professional careers, social activities, and general health. 

While no two pictures of ageing look the same, nor should it, I can’t help but question if some of their struggles with ageing were internalised long before receiving their Merdaka cards. 

Take fulfilment as an example. Has society overly devoted itself towards professional careers such that its conclusion spirals one into a loss of purpose or identity? 

We all know where ageing ends, and with the new healthcare blueprint, the roadmap there seems to have been charted too. 

The next question to ask perhaps, is where ageing should begin.  

— James Yau 

Ageing discourse in Indonesia: Still on the sidelines? 

Discussions about ageing in Indonesia seem to remain on the sidelines, especially when compared to similar conversations in developed countries. 

Indonesia's demographic structure by age is quite unique, forming a dome-shaped pyramid—broad at the base and middle, then tapering at the top—with more than 80 per cent of the population aged between 0 and 64. 

The elderly population makes up around 1/10 of the total population, according to 2023 data from the Indonesian Statistics Bureau (BPS). 

This is one of the key reasons why the government’s “Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision” tends to focus on programmes aimed at the productive age group (15–64 years old, as officially categorised). 

In that vision, the government is preparing for the demographic landscape 20 years from now, focusing on the productive segment that will make up more than two-thirds of the total population. 

Nevertheless, BPS expects the elderly population to rise to approximately 20.5 per cent by 2045. This provides a solid rationale for the government to begin formulating more targeted, inclusive policies that focus on empowering this demographic. 

Although the government has yet to design a comprehensive strategy specifically focused on the senior citizens, some partial measures have already been introduced.

One such initiative is from the Ministry of Manpower, which has removed age restrictions from job applications. This allows experienced individuals over the age of 55 to compete on equal footing with younger job seekers. 

Another policy mandates that municipal governments provide a 50 per cent discount on public transportation fares for senior citizens, along with designated seating—although I’ve noticed that some senior citizens prefer not to be singled out. 

Beyond top-down policies, affirmative action to honour senior citizens has also emerged in the private sector. For instance, some cafés and restaurants are now hiring senior staff, particularly in large cities like Jakarta and Bandung. 

Moreover, several micros, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in sectors such as manufacturing, food, and handicrafts have employed senior workers.

This is not merely because they are seen as more affordable labour, but more importantly, as a form of respect for their skills and experience. 

— Mochamad Azhar