SINGAPORE: A young Singaporean man in his mid-20s on social media voiced his fear of growing old, lonely and isolated.
He asked, “Is anyone worried about how so many elderly seem lonely and isolated? Is this gonna be our fate too when we grow old? How do we avoid this fate?”
He explained that as he walks around Singapore, he often sees elderly people sitting alone and looking lonely.
“Just staring at space and not surrounded by friends and family. And as I read articles about elderly loneliness in Singapore and isolation, I am scared. I am in my mid-20s right now with a good social system but what if that’s my fate when I hit 80?” he expressed his fears.
This made him worry about his own future.
“I don’t want to be alone and isolated when I grow old. That scares me,” he wrote. “I want to be surrounded by friends and family all the time but so many elderly end up isolated.
Is this the fate of all Singaporeans? To grow old and alone, trapped in our apartments or eating at a coffee shop all alone?” He then asked, “How do we escape this?”
His post drew attention, with many others sharing similar concerns.
One person commented, “I hope and pray for better retirement home options to be built and maintained in Singapore. I have not heard of any nursing or old folks’ homes allowing husband and wife to live together.
I heard horror stories where a husband and wife were forced to live in different nursing homes due to availability issues. What a dreadful situation to have to separate from your spouse towards your last years. This honestly brings me some anxiety.”
Some tried to lighten the mood with humour. “I am hoping when I grow old, I can be in a nursing home where I can play PC games with other residents and have LAN parties, so I won’t be lonely.”
One commenter suggested that staying active and social might be the best way to avoid loneliness, even considering enrolling in a nursing home to make friends.
“I guess that’s the fate of most elderly. Kids and families grow up and all have their own commitment as well as want to spend more time with their own offspring, which I can understand too. Work and everything it’s really hard to juggle, too,” she added.
Another person pointed out a harsh reality many might face. “Gonna be honest, it can and will happen to a lot of us,” he said.
He suggested that being part of a group, like a church or social club, could reduce the risk of isolation because these groups offer an easy way to stay connected with others. He believed that staying social is key.
“It’s all cool to be a bit more introverted and enjoy a lot of me-time and ‘self-care’ when you’re young, but once you’re older, it’s better to go out there and make friends by joining interest groups or whatever,” he added.
Another man in his mid-20s questioned the fear. “Why are you so afraid of this fate?” he asked. He noted that being alone or looking lonely doesn’t always mean living a miserable life. Some people might have a happy family waiting for them after time alone.
However, he acknowledged that many factors could be involved for those who are truly alone. Some might be due to past actions, while others are unfortunate. “You can never truly plan for these situations; just cherish what you have now and make many happy memories.”
Another person shared, “My grandfather said that there’s one thing about getting old: you get to meet up with all your larger friend circle fairly regularly…the only downside was that each time there was one less friend until suddenly, he was the only one.”
Channel News Asia reported in July 2023 that experts interviewed by TODAY have highlighted the growing importance of caregiving options due to Singapore’s rapidly ageing population.
According to the report, in 2010, one in 10 Singaporeans were 65 or older. This will increase to one in six by 2020, and by 2030, it’s expected that one in four will be over 65.
The Ministry of Health’s 2023 Action Plan for Successful Ageing also highlighted that by 2030, around 100,000 seniors will need help with daily tasks, and about 83,000 will live alone. /TISG
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