May 9, 2019

In light of transnational migration and an ageing population, how is Singapore adapting to face the challenges of modern society, especially in caring for its older citizens?

Associate Professor Elaine Ho from the NUS Department of Geography elaborates on how ageing and migration can interweave to meet the increasing needs of healthcare in Singapore. On a macro scale, she notes that we as a society ‘need to accept diversity and encourage other narratives to evolve’ so the needs of our ageing population can be met. With this shift in mindset, policies on a micro scale that meet the needs of our senior citizens, such as empowering foreign workers with the necessary skills to care for them, can therefore be put in place.

Assoc Prof Ho also explains how this phenomenon of a nation’s reliance on foreign domestic workers  in healthcare presents itself in other nations as well, such as in Europe and North America. Maintaining a competent level of healthcare therefore is not just important in serving and caring for our elders who have contributed greatly to the nation, but also in maintaining Singapore’s reputation as a nation that is both kind, caring, and ‘welcoming of foreigners’.

The article also highlights the recent publication of Assoc Prof Ho’s new book, Citizens in Motion: Emigration, Immigration and Re-migration Across China’s Borders (2019, Stanford University Press), which expounds on the Chinese diaspora, bringing a new analytical perspective to studying migration and citizenship, as well as its attendant issues.

Read the full article here.