Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore

This paper criticizes the Singapore state’s approach of invoking familial support as the first line of care in answering the challenges of an ageing population while the state comes in only to provide a framework to enable the family and community to play their part. Where then, in the larger schema...

ver descrição completa

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor principal: Neo, Serene Wen Ying
Outros Autores: Xiao Hong
Formato: Final Year Project (FYP)
Idioma:English
Publicado em: 2012
Assuntos:
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48235
_version_ 1826129043726008320
author Neo, Serene Wen Ying
author2 Xiao Hong
author_facet Xiao Hong
Neo, Serene Wen Ying
author_sort Neo, Serene Wen Ying
collection NTU
description This paper criticizes the Singapore state’s approach of invoking familial support as the first line of care in answering the challenges of an ageing population while the state comes in only to provide a framework to enable the family and community to play their part. Where then, in the larger schema of the policy framework on ageing, are seniors who have limited or no family support located? With specific reference to seniors who stay alone and have limited or no family support and are beneficiaries under Lions Befrienders Service Association (Singapore)’s Befriending Programme, I examine the problems created with certain assumptions that the state has institutionally reinforced with regards to the fundamental functions, practices and roles of the family. By contrast, I shall argue that a shift from the traditional, state-defined familism as a key pillar of support to a state-directed, community-based form of care, which encompasses a broader definition of the ‘family’, can more adequately deal with caregiving arrangements for vulnerable elders who are poor and socially isolated, either because they do not have any family or are estranged from them. As such, it may be appropriate to adopt new policy solutions, where primary caregiving for the elderly is not confined to who is considered kin but who is actually involved and providing it (Hirschfeld, & Wikler, 2003). As Singapore currently has no retirement communities, I put forth the above recommendation in establishing a proper and comprehensive service infrastructure to deal with aging and low-income elderly in a holistic and integrated manner.
first_indexed 2024-10-01T07:34:19Z
format Final Year Project (FYP)
id ntu-10356/48235
institution Nanyang Technological University
language English
last_indexed 2024-10-01T07:34:19Z
publishDate 2012
record_format dspace
spelling ntu-10356/482352019-12-10T12:17:15Z Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore Neo, Serene Wen Ying Xiao Hong School of Humanities and Social Sciences DRNTU::Humanities This paper criticizes the Singapore state’s approach of invoking familial support as the first line of care in answering the challenges of an ageing population while the state comes in only to provide a framework to enable the family and community to play their part. Where then, in the larger schema of the policy framework on ageing, are seniors who have limited or no family support located? With specific reference to seniors who stay alone and have limited or no family support and are beneficiaries under Lions Befrienders Service Association (Singapore)’s Befriending Programme, I examine the problems created with certain assumptions that the state has institutionally reinforced with regards to the fundamental functions, practices and roles of the family. By contrast, I shall argue that a shift from the traditional, state-defined familism as a key pillar of support to a state-directed, community-based form of care, which encompasses a broader definition of the ‘family’, can more adequately deal with caregiving arrangements for vulnerable elders who are poor and socially isolated, either because they do not have any family or are estranged from them. As such, it may be appropriate to adopt new policy solutions, where primary caregiving for the elderly is not confined to who is considered kin but who is actually involved and providing it (Hirschfeld, & Wikler, 2003). As Singapore currently has no retirement communities, I put forth the above recommendation in establishing a proper and comprehensive service infrastructure to deal with aging and low-income elderly in a holistic and integrated manner. Bachelor of Arts 2012-03-29T09:12:59Z 2012-03-29T09:12:59Z 2012 2012 Final Year Project (FYP) http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48235 en Nanyang Technological University 32 p. application/pdf
spellingShingle DRNTU::Humanities
Neo, Serene Wen Ying
Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore
title Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore
title_full Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore
title_fullStr Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore
title_full_unstemmed Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore
title_short Living alone, on my own : where’s the familial in their graying world? A study of seniors living alone in Singapore
title_sort living alone on my own where s the familial in their graying world a study of seniors living alone in singapore
topic DRNTU::Humanities
url http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48235
work_keys_str_mv AT neoserenewenying livingaloneonmyownwheresthefamilialintheirgrayingworldastudyofseniorslivingaloneinsingapore