The Growing Pains of Singapore’s Aging Population

Problem statement:

It is well known that Singapore’s social services, social assistance schemes and workplace culture are scrambling to adapt to a rapid increase in the proportion of its population aged 65 and over. By 2030, a quarter of Singapore’s residents will be considered elderly, which has significant implications for Singapore’s economic productivity, and necessitates re-budgeting of its expenditures to account for rising healthcare expenditures and social security. To Singapore’s credit, the state has been proactive and farsighted in designing new policies to adapt to this new reality. These include a more extensive social security net through generous social assistance schemes such as ElderShield, the Pioneer Generation Package, and Silver Support schemes. The state has also built more eldercare facilities across the country and looked into increasing the supply of eldercare professionals and has seen some success there. However, the following inadequacies in current policy persist:

1. Elderly citizens lack information about and access to policies that are intended to benefit them.

Many social assistance schemes and grants are heavily means-tested and administered by different agencies under different criteria. For the non-tech savvy and the less mobile elderly, there are significant barriers to learning about the schemes available to them. Non-standard means testing practices also mean that elderly may fall through the cracks, for example if they have family members who are estranged or do not provide support, or if they are caregivers for their own family members and make too much to qualify for assistance, but too little to accrue substantial savings. This means that elderly who most require aid may not receive it.

2. A policymaking culture of pragmatism and self-sufficiency has stigmatized seeking aid.

The emphasis on self-sufficiency has deterred a minority of elderly Singaporeans from asking for public assistance, and is also to blame for a persisting perception of financial insecurity. This siege mentality has resulted in elderly folks who do not seek help even when in dire straits, or who work despite serious disability and to the detriment of their health.

3. A lack of nuanced public conversation and consultation limits nuanced public awareness of and conversation about the implications of an aging population for Singapore.

The emphasis on the economic costs of an aging population has created a one-dimensional public understanding of elderly needs in Singapore, and has overwhelmingly framed elderly persons as needy, frail individuals. This narrative of meeting needs versus building capacity and agency may paradoxically engender dependence. Work by the Lien Foundation may be the beginning of a possible reimagining of what public assistance and service provision for the elderly looks like.

4. Shortage of manpower in the social services sector and misaligned incentives have resulted in gaps in service provision for the elderly.

Singapore is experiencing a manpower crunch in the healthcare industry and social work sector due to a lack of interest in the profession from locals, resulting in much of the labor force being imported, and much of the needs of elderly folk not being met in the short run. This creates quality considerations arising from communication barriers. Meanwhile, volunteer organizations have rallied as an interim source of this kind of labor, but long-term planning for sustainable sources of healthcare personnel in the eldercare sector is long overdue.