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The National Policy on Elderly People in Singapore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Peggy Teo
Peggy Teo
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore0511.
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Abstract

Expanding longevity among elderly people and fertility decline are contributing to the ageing of Singapore's population. By 2030, the proportion of persons aged 60 and above will be 26% of the total population. A national policy on elderly persons was formulated in 1989 which incorporated four issues: employment of elderly persons in the workforce; attitudes toward elderly people; community care; and residential care. This paper discusses each of these agenda with the view of assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The section on residential care is supported by empirical data. The paper concludes that elderly people in Singapore suffer from a high degree of enforced dependence which will need to be reviewed. In particular, a consultative approach in keeping with the more liberal attitude of the second generation leadership will help Singapore to achieve higher standards of care for an increasingly affluent elderly population.

Keywords

national policyemploymentcommunity careresidential careattitudes
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , September 1994 , pp. 405 - 427
Copyright
Copyright Cambridge University Press 1994

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