AGE FRIENDLY IN SINGAPORE:
"Outdoor spaces and buildings" in Singapore are highly developed and very age-friendly such as can be seen in the picture above. All elderly citizens that have the elderly ez-link card or concession pass, can tap the card onto the reader to prolong the time they have to cross the road. This is a very helpful invention as some drivers could become impatient with elderly pedestrians and refuse to wait for the light to change before driving.
Community Centre's are age friendly. this is because in accordance with
"Respect and social inclusion" , one of the 8 interconnected domains of social life. In community centres, there are a wide-range of activities available for the elderly to participate in. At community centres, they also come into contact with the younger generation of volunteers thus creating a socially-inclusive community.
"Community and health care" is a well-established area in Singapore. In all HDB estates, without fail there will be more than one medical clinic, dental clinic and pharmacy. This shows that in Singapore , the needs of all elderly are being well taken care off.
NON-AGE FRIENDLY IN SINGAPORE:
As seen above is a ramp for wheel-chair bound individuals and elderly offered by buses.Although a very good effort to create a more age-friendly society in accordance to "Transportation" ,one of the 8 interconnected domains of social life, it is however not implemented in every bus and only certain buses are wheelchair friendly. This is something that should be change in order to cater to the needs of the elderly in Singapore.
In Singapore, the interconnected domain of social life with regards to "Civic participation and employment" for the elderly is lacking. This is because they are seen as not as educated and incapable of handling the job of an average working adult and hence are given odd jobs or unfavorable jobs such as that of cleaners or dishwashers. They may also be working under unfair working conditions such a low-pay, unhygienic working conditions and hard labor which is detrimental to their health.
"Social participation" as one of the above mentioned 8 interconnected domains of social life
is not very well integrated here in Singapore. There is a stark difference to what is a social
activity for the young and what is a social activity for the old. Very rarely are
there opportunities for both the elderly and the younger generations to enjoy a social
activity together. Hence, i feel that Singapore has still a long way to go to establish an age-
friendly society with regards to social participation among all age groups.
Done in reference to the following article: http://agefriendlyworld.org/en/age-friendly-in-practice/
Signing off,
Abigail
No comments:
Post a Comment