Following on last week's look at Japan, "Foreign Care Workers Surpass 100,000 as Nursing Homes Face Staff Shortages".
From the Straits Times, May 20:
Most of us are either caregivers or know someone who is. They are all around us, quietly caring for loved ones who are ill, old or living with a disability.
Singapore is projected to become a super-aged society in 2026, where at least 21 per cent of the population is aged 65 or older. By 2030, about one in four Singaporeans will be in this age group.
As the population grows older, more seniors are becoming caregivers to other seniors.
The proportion of informal caregivers – those who provide unpaid care to family members and friends – among adults aged 67 and above rose from 6 per cent in 2019 to 7.4 per cent in 2023-2024, according to a national survey of older adult residents conducted by the Centre for Ageing Research & Education (CARE) at Duke-NUS Medical School.
While caregivers across all age groups face similar types of challenges, including physical, economic, social and psychological strains, these are more pronounced for older caregivers.
For instance, on top of caregiving, they may be managing their own health challenges, says Mr Steven Yeo, executive director of Caregiving Welfare Association (CWA). “Many may also be less likely to seek support as they often see caregiving as a personal responsibility.”....
....MUCH MORE
As noted exiting the earlier post:
Here's hoping that Western politicians and policy peeps are paying attention to Japan's experience. After all, most of our readers are going to be old.
