Caregivers need support to continue working
The second group of older people who quit their jobs are family caregivers. In the 2019-2022 CARE longitudinal study of family caregiving, 30% of caregivers were aged 50 to 59 years and 56% were aged 60 years or older.
Women are more likely to be family caregivers. A 2016 study found that women who retired early were far more likely to cite caregiving as a reason (59% compared to just 10% of men).
This is where AgeWell SG, which Lee mentioned in his speech, could potentially fill the gap. Details have yet to be announced, but the new national program could provide communities with services that make older people less dependent on caregivers and free up time for work and their own needs.
Such services may take the form of active aging centers that provide older people with social and recreational activities, social services, referrals to care services, etc.
However, more needs to be done to ensure inclusiveness. Our research shows that older adults who benefit most from organized activity, such as those with poor health and social isolation, are more likely to face difficulties accessing such centers. , suggests that they are reluctant to participate in formal programs.
Furthermore, in a study published in The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Singapore Population Association, led by Nathan Wijajah of Nanyang Technological University, found that some centers had challenges in attracting ethnic minorities to participate, but this was largely due to minority staff and multinationals. May be related to lack of language activity vendors.
These services are especially important given the increasing focus on loneliness in the elderly. Our study found that 39 percent of Singaporean seniors reported being lonely, and this group had, on average, a 3-5 year shorter life expectancy for her than other seniors. I’m here.
