Marie called me three weeks after her husband’s funeral. Not because she needed help with arrangements or condolences, those had been handled. She called because she couldn’t remember the last time she’d sat still for more than ten minutes. “I keep checking on him,” she whispered into the phone. “I know he’s not there, but …
Last year, 87,200 Singaporeans aged sixty-five and above were living alone. That is an 11.6 percent leap in just twelve months, and it is more than double the number a decade ago. ONE IN FIVE RESIDENTS IS NOW A SENIOR The resident population aged sixty-five and above stands at 767,900—about 20 percent of us. In …
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of facilitating a three-day Caregiver Learning Journey with a group of bright, driven youth leaders as part of the National Youth Council’s Leaders Course. Over just a few days, we covered topics that many of us haven’t had the chance, or pause, to think about: Grounding youth in …
This week, I had the privilege of facilitating the “Time Together” Intergenerational Learning Programme, a special initiative held at Harmony Village, an activity center at Community Care Apartment in Bukit Batok. The idea was simple yet powerful: bringing seniors and youths together in the same space to learn from each other through guided games, storytelling, …
A Mother’s Day reflection on love, illness, and what caregiving teaches us When we think about caregivers, we often picture someone older, experienced, or trained. But caregiving often begins in ways we don’t recognise = and far earlier than we realise. My first caregiver was my mother (then my grandparents took over as my parents …
And the market — public, private, and community — needs to prepare. This year, Singapore turns 60. And as we celebrate, it’s also time to reckon with the reality that 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above by 2030. That’s just five years away. At the recent Build for Good hackathon, technologists, …
One of the most under-discussed yet life-altering changes is the slow fading of our sight. It doesn’t announce itself. It creeps in. Reading becomes harder, faces blur, and depth becomes deceptive. Vision loss is a silent, profound shift that many of us, or our loved ones, will face sooner than we expect. Here’s a little-known …
Getting older isn’t just about grey hairs or slower steps Read More »
A Personal Reflection At 20, I became my mother’s primary caregiver. Her battle with depression and recovery from cancer didn’t manifest in ways that traditional support systems recognize. She was prone to falls, struggled with eating and sleeping, and often missed her medications. These challenges didn’t fit neatly into the criteria of Activities of Daily …
Caregiving Starts Before Dependency: Why Singapore’s Support Model Must Change Read More »
It’s easy to feel surrounded. Messages, notifications, lunch invites — the buzz of company. But don’t mistake noise for nourishment. Company fills the room with chatter. Support fills your spirit with courage. Company claps when you perform. Support covers you when you fall. The truth is, being around people doesn’t always mean you’re being lifted. …
Company fills the room, support fills the spirit Read More »
My brother is married with two kids. On paper, the responsibility of caring for our parents is shared between us. And yet, it still feels like it falls mostly on me—the single one in the family. Why is that? Is it birth order? Personality? The idea that I “seem to cope better”? Or something deeper—years …
