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Look out for seniors better

Kalyani Mehta: Socially, we could do more to help the elderly interact more. The young generation has to go to work, so it is important to encourage seniors to go out rather than stay at home all alone. But it cannot be done that easily; they need coaxing, perhaps by volunteers and befrienders. The baby boomer generation, though, are raring to go. They have much to give; the question is how to match their skills with the needs of society.

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Kalyani Mehta: Socially, we could do more to help the elderly interact more. The young generation has to go to work, so it is important to encourage seniors to go out rather than stay at home all alone. But it cannot be done that easily; they need coaxing, perhaps by volunteers and befrienders. The baby boomer generation, though, are raring to go. They have much to give; the question is how to match their skills with the needs of society.

Carol Lim: If day-care centres are located near every few blocks of flats, (seniors) could be encouraged to go there to mingle. It then becomes a routine ... Even their caregivers could bring them to the centres to interact with others.

Gerard Ee: The crux of the issue is to look out for each other, and to regain some kampung spirit. Today, we treasure our privacy so much so that while we may do good work ... people in the east could go to the west to run programmes for the elderly and not know that their neighbour is suffering. If every one of us looks out for our neighbour, everybody would be cared for.

Carol: Reality has not struck them (the not-in-my-backyard residents). They would be the elderly in the future and, obviously, if nursing centres are near homes, families would find it easier to visit their elderly.

Gerard: We must go back to core values. The problem ... is that many people have a warped value of life and they are not caring enough.

Kalyani: Nursing homes in other countries are now being built like group homes, small entities with some 15 elderly people in one apartment. In that way, these are not a sore thumb in any community. They would be there with the community, connected to the community. Our nursing homes are hospital-like, with dormitories for men and for women.

Even a husband and wife cannot meet without the permission of the person in charge, and that too for a short time. Our concept of institutions must evolve. If they are small entities, the stigma would dissolve. Smaller group homes would be more like extended relatives living together.

Helen Lim: First, seniors must be more flexible and open-minded about the kind of jobs that are not exactly the same as they had before. Second, potential employers must embrace having a few more seniors coming in to contribute. The issue is the stereotyping of seniors as old-fashioned, stubborn, fixed in their ideas and slower to learn, a bias against anyone above 45. But with more awareness that there are many silver talents willing to climb down in terms of the kind of jobs they are looking for, and as they are seen more as energetic, there are more positive signs now.

Jeraldine Phneah: They need more encouragement. From my experience with the elderly, I find them to be pessimistic about themselves. There is a mentality that ‘I’m going to die soon, so there’s no point learning new things or experiencing more in life’. I try to encourage my grandparents’ friends that they can contribute to society, work or learn new things — to instil in them the idea of active ageing.

Diana Kwok: My mother has been on a wheelchair since 2006, and I have to employ a helper to look after her. The Government should allow us to use Medisave to subsidise such employment. And when my helper goes on home leave, I have to place my mother in respite care. But not many nursing homes here can offer respite care for a month, for which I have to pay up to S$3,000 up-front and S$3,000 in deposit. Either subsidies or use of Medisave would help.

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