October 4, 2022

How societies can better adapt to an ageing population is an important issue. By 2030, more than 20% of Singapore’s population will be aged 65 or above, which means that every fourth person you encounter at a kopitiam will be a senior citizen.

‘Caring is Complicated’ (The ALUMNUS, Oct-Dec 2022) features Professor Elaine Ho Lynn-Ee (NUS Geography) and her research projects centred on ageing. In 2017, Prof Ho started a project on the confluence between migration and ageing titled ‘Transnational Relations, Ageing and Care Ethics’ (TRACE). It revealed that Singaporean seniors often age alongside seniors from other countries, many of whom come to Singapore as caregivers for their grandchildren (‘grandparenting migrants’). Practical issues, however, can arise. As these grandparenting migrants are neither citizens nor residents of Singapore, they cannot access all the benefits Singapore offers to senior citizens.

Prof Ho advocates for greater involvement of family members when it comes to taking care of vulnerable elderlies who live by themselves. Workplaces can also grant leave benefits for workers who need to take care of their elderly family members. Currently, there is a critical pay gap between professional care providers who deal with acute healthcare and those in the long-term care profession. While acknowledging that these two areas are separate, Prof Ho argues that long-term care providers deserve more given that the work they do can be dirty and difficult.

Moreover, Prof Ho points out that it might not be sustainable for Singapore to rely on migrant labour for elderly care, because studies have found that Singapore is not the top destination for migrant workers offering elderly care services. Community care, which is not another name for nursing homes but daytime facilities where seniors stay in, is thus necessary. This model allows the elderly to benefit from professional care while living with their families.

Prof Ho concluded the TRACE project with the resulting Care Where You Are report, published in 2018. She is optimistic about new grants and schemes, as well as better training options for caregivers. ‘Ageing and Social Networks: Mapping the Life-worlds of Older Singaporeans’, one of Prof Ho’s is ongoing projects seeks to further explore the social and geographical characteristics of older people’s social networks.

Read more about it here.

Read ‘Caring is Complicated’ in The ALUMNUS here.