Singapore’s super-aged era: Redefining elder care

That source countries are themselves ageing, while competition intensifies globally for caregivers and nurses, means there is a need for home-grown talent to take on eldercare roles, said Prof Straughan.

“As we move to a super-aged and, eventually, hyper-aged society, and given the transformation in family structures with smaller family size, increase in older persons households and singles households, it is critical that we learn to embrace our neighbourhood and community as family,” she said.

The good news is that the large cohort of baby boomers who have begun entering the post-65 age range is generally healthier than the generations before them.

The National Population Health Survey released earlier in October showed greater health-seeking behaviour among older Singaporeans, such as participation in screening for chronic diseases and colorectal cancer.

A comprehensive study by the Institute of Mental Health also found a lower prevalence of dementia and stroke among older adults in 2023 than in 2013.

Meanwhile, Rosa’s data showed that more than two-thirds of baby boomers reported no difficulties across all measured instrumental activities of daily living – complex, multi-step activities necessary for independent living, such as using transportation.

This group is also more likely to be socially active, with better social networks than their parents, said Dr Kelvin Tan, head of programme in Applied Ageing Studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

This greater independence, alongside Singaporeans’ preference for ageing-in-place, helps contextualise moves by the Government in recent years to build up care services in the community and improve local infrastructure, such as through Age Well Neighbourhoods, he noted.

The initiative will see more Community Care Apartments and active ageing centres being built in the coming years. Other schemes to help with caregiving needs include the

which provides services like 24/7 monitoring for frail seniors, and the

where a caregiver provides stay-in care for a few seniors.

While government efforts will go some way to building Singapore’s caregiving capacity, experts here such as Institute of Policy Studies deputy director and senior research fellow Christopher Gee said a stronger push is needed to nurture a society of caregivers if Singapore is to stay resilient in the face of its changing demographics.

Despite being healthier than earlier cohorts, about 30 per cent of older adult caregivers report having two or more chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, said Rosa. This shows a need to strengthen caregivers’ physical health, alongside programmes to mitigate caregiver burnout.

One senior facing these challenges is Ms Ijah Yatim, 73, who has hypertension and high cholesterol, and is caregiver to her mother with dementia.

“As time goes by, I’m feeling burnt out, especially when she does not sleep well at night, besides her behavioural changes,” she said. “I have to prioritise myself and practise more self-care.”

Mr Gee said spreading the caregiving load more broadly will help. It is also in keeping with the push for Singapore to become a we-first society, though he acknowledged it will require a mindset shift away from dollars and cents to growing one’s social capital through caring for others.

Existing tools that nudge people to build good habits – such as the Healthy 365 app that provides benefits for meeting health targets – can be a possible model to incentivise volunteering or other pro-social behaviours, he noted.

Even without such incentives, many are signing on to get more involved in community caregiving.

The Silver Generation Office (SGO) said its network of Silver Generation Ambassadors (SGAs) has grown from 3,000 in 2022 to nearly 9,000 today, in part through partnerships with companies, institutes of higher learning, and community-based recruitment. 

SGAs go door to door to check on seniors, and ensure they receive timely assistance and care, especially for those who may be less mobile or socially isolated.

Beyond face-to-face engagements, SGO has introduced tele-engagement and will soon add digital engagement, said SGO chief Sng Hock Lin. Data analytics will also be used to guide outreach efforts and better understand emerging needs.

“The new modes of outreach are designed to better connect with younger seniors and future seniors who may be more digitally savvy, and enable us to engage seniors with a variety of preferences and lifestyles,” he said.

SRC chief executive officer Benjamin William said Singapore should also continue building on its deep-rooted Asian culture of piety to encourage more people to care for their neighbours and seniors.

“ElderAid’s greatest incentive – a sense of renewed purpose and fulfilment; the gift of friendship and community – is non-tangible, and we believe that it should be this way,” he said.

Madam Peh agreed, and said she considers the three seniors as her friends.

“When I couldn’t visit them during the Covid-19 pandemic, they told me they really missed me a lot,” she said.