RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018

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RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
Insights Brief
February 2018

                                                  C

                 An initiative by

                 raiSE
                 SINGAPORE
                   Centre for Social Enterprise
                                                  C

                                                  R
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
CONTENT PAGE

02 Introduction
03 An Initiative by raiSE
04 LeapForGood Programme Design
06 Methodology
08 Frameworks
10 Key Insights Matrix

12 Insights on Seniors
13 Introduction
16 Public engagement
18 Leveraging seniors' skills (1)
22 Fighting ageism and changing
   negative perceptions (2)
26 Encouraging lifelong learning (3)
30 Building self-confidence (4)
34 Breaking social isolation (5)
38 Understanding mobility (6)

42 Insights on Caregivers
43 Introduction
46 Public engagement
48 Balancing caregiving and work (7)
52 Restoring self-confidence (8)
56 Providing caregiving knowledge (9)
60 Giving caregivers relief (10)
64 Offering emotional support (11)
68 Resolving trade-offs of childminding (12)

72 Conclusion
73 Programme Partners
74 Research Partners
75 Researchers
   Resources
76 References
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
3
                                                                                                                                                                                            INTRODUCTION
            INTRODUCTION                                                                  AN INITIATIVE BY                       Coated:

                                                                                                                                           Pantone P 172-16 C

                                                                                                                                           Pantone 512 C

                                                                                             raiSE
The LeapForGood (LFG) programme               This year, the focus will be on the                                            The Singapore Centre for Social
is back! We have been heartened               needs of seniors and caregivers in the                                         Enterprise
                                                                                                                                CMYK (print):            (raiSE) was set up to raise
by the outcomes, enthusiasm of the            domains of work, life, and play.                                               awareness                   on social entrepreneurship
                                                                                                                                        C: 60 M: 54 Y: 48 K: 60

community and positive feedback                                                                                              and raise support for social enterprises
from LFG 2016. It is our desire that          In this programme, we want to put                                              in Singapore.                      raiSE hopes to strengthen
                                                                                             SINGAPORE
                                                                                                                                        C: 53 M: 94 Y: 23 K: 6

this year’s LFG will continue to build        the people we are designing for (the            Centre for Social Enterprise   the social enterprise sector in
connections among the various                 WHO) and the needs that matter most                                            Singapore
                                                                                                                                RGB (web):              and encourage the growth
communities and individuals who               to them (the WHAT) at the heart of                                             of social  #3b3a3d enterprises as a sustainable

share our passion, and inspire more           our discovery. We believe this human-                                          way to address social needs.
passionate individuals in taking the          centred approach (the HOW) can
                                                                                                                                           # 853175

leap to create a better future through        inspire innovative solutions that are                                          raiSE provides a range of support
the power of social entrepreneurship.         more desirable to their needs, feasible                                        to help social enterprises from start
                                              in becoming a reality sooner than                                              to mature stages, such as funding,
The goals of the LFG programme are            later, and viable through sustainable                                          advisory services, training, relevant
three-fold: Firstly, to raise awareness of    business models.                                                               resources and networks. raiSE also
emerging social needs in Singapore;                                                                                          looks to encourage collaboration and
secondly, to inspire the ideation             We hope this Insights Brief will help                                          sharing of information between social
of solutions through cross-sector             to kickstart your discovery into these                                         enterprises and voluntary welfare
collaborations to address these needs;        social needs and inspire you into                                              organisations. raiSE welcomes the
and thirdly, to catalyse the emergence        action. We look forward to supporting                                          support of corporations and individuals
of social entrepreneurs – ordinary            and growing with you to create a                                               who would like to contribute or play a
people      who      are    extraordinarily   better future for seniors and caregivers!                                      role in the social enterprise sector.
curious, creative and courageous in
championing social change – through           Yours Sincerely,
supporting individuals in setting up
social enterprises or developing new          The LeapForGood 2018 Team
initiatives within their organisations to     Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise,
meet these needs.                             raiSE Ltd
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
5
         LEAPFORGOOD

                                                                                                                                                              INTRODUCTION
         PROGRAMME DESIGN

These design challenges are derived using a human-centred design approach
that allows practitioners to gain empathy and insights into the latent needs
and motivations of users. The programme’s multi-phase process encourages
collaborations among different stakeholders (users, service providers, designers,
business owners) to create concepts and test prototypes rapidly. Instead of
having users change and accommodate their behaviours, products and services
can be tailored to solve their needs. Below is an outline of the 4 phases of our
programme:

           PHASE 1: DISCOVERY                                                       PHASE 3: PROTOTYPE
           Gain insights on emerging social needs                                   Validate your concepts through market testing

           Through the sharing of thoughtful ethnographic research and              Shortlisted applicants will enter the prototyping phase with an “Idea
           engagements with industry experts, you are encouraged to set aside       Fund” of $1,000 each. You may choose to recruit team members or
           preconceptions and step into the shoes of those in need. By sharing      work with your pre-existing teams to prototype solutions, test and
           knowledge and human-centred insights on emerging social needs in         validate your concepts. You will receive support to equip you with
           Singapore, we help you appreciate existing challenges and uncover        tools to further develop your solutions and business models. There will
           opportunities for a better tomorrow.                                     also be facilitated learning and consultation sessions with relevant
                                                                                    technical experts, potential partners and key stakeholders. These will
                                                                                    culminate in a "Demo Day", where you will make your pitch to secure
                                                                                    funding for your social enterprise.

           PHASE 2: IDEATE                                                          PHASE 4: PILOT
           Generate innovative concepts and sustainable social enterprise           Develop and implement your social enterprise
           models
                                                                                    Selected social enterprises that emerge from the process will each
           Drawing on human-centred insights and macro-environment trends,          receive a LeapForGood grant of up to $100,000 and incubation
           you will find inspiration to develop innovative concepts and plant the   support from raiSE to catalyse the implementation of their solutions
           seeds for solutions that last through sustainable business models. By    and social enterprise ventures. These will give you a solid foundation
           the end of this stage, individual participants and organisations may     for piloting your prototyped ideas and sustaining social impact.
           put forth applications detailing the concept of their proposed social
           enterprises to be in the running to receive support and funds to make
           them a reality.
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
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                                                                                                                                                                                           INTRODUCTION
             METHODOLOGY

DESK RESEARCH                                                                          taking care either of a spouse, a
A review of all relevant secondary                                                     grandparent, a grandchild (7% each),
literature, including news articles,                                                   or an in-law (14%). The rest (29%) were
academic papers, national surveys,                                                     not providing care to anyone at the
country statistics, reports and white                                                  moment. Their education level was
papers, such as the National Survey of                                                 well-distributed between primary,
Senior Citizens, the Survey on Informal                                                A-level, university (14% each), O-level
Caregiving and the Labour Force                                                        (21%), and diploma (29%) with the                         Pop-Up Stories Market at MacPherson
report, was conducted. This review        Observing a caregiver at his place           rest (8%) having no formal education.
helped in understanding the context,                                                                                                             POP-UP STORIES MARKETS
trends and existing solutions both in     ETHNOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS                                                                              During two pop-up engagements, 217
Singapore and globally. It also helped    Ethnographic observations of the 14                                                                    members of the public were engaged
to determine the representative           participants* were conducted in their                                                                  in conversation as they shared insights
personas to be interviewed.               homes, workplaces and activity centres                                                                 on their personal experiences. This
                                          to get a comprehensive understanding                                                                   led to a broader understanding of
                                          of their experience in terms of attitudes,                                                             the daily needs and challenges of our
                                          behaviours and contexts. By following                                                                  target beneficiaries, and the general
                                          participants in their daily life and                                                                   impression of caregivers and seniors
                                          recording their activities, emotions,        Expert interview with Carrie Tan, Executive Director of   returning to work. These findings
                                          unique behaviours, and decisions,            Daughters of Tomorrow                                     provided support for the in-depth
                                          observations of non-verbal cues such                                                                   interviews with research participants.
                                          as attitudinal changes and emotional         EXPERT INTERVIEWS
Conducting an interview with a senior     shifts could be made.                        Experts    from    social  enterprises,                   SYNTHESIS AND INSIGHTS
                                                                                       charities and government entities                         The insights uncovered during the in-
FIELD RESEARCH                            *All names have been changed to              active in the employment, health and                      depth interviews and ethnographic
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS                       protect the privacy of individuals.          well-being of seniors and caregivers                      observations were evaluated in terms
Semi-structured, open-ended interviews                                                 were interviewed to surface the key                       of their relative incidence rate and
were conducted with 14 caregivers         DEMOGRAPHICS                                 challenges and opportunities in these                     impact on the beneficiaries. Through
and seniors to understand the root        Of the 14 participants interviewed the       fields. Experts were selected based                       this prioritisation process, 12 were
causes of their specific behaviours and   caregivers were between 25 and 58            on their exposure to seniors and                          identified as offering the greatest
derive the values and drivers of their    years old and seniors interviewed were       caregivers, the services they provide                     opportunity for social impact. This
actions. Building rapport with these      between 52 and 75 years old. Half of         for these two groups, and the depth                       selection     was     corroborated by
users was the key to understanding        them were unemployed, while others           of their expertise on these particular                    evidence from the literature review,
their emotions, stories, underlying       were either working with a flexible          topics.                                                   expert interviews and the general
perceptions and fears. Questions          arrangement (29%), full-time (14%),                                                                    public opinion. The insights and
revolved around their employment          or doing voluntary work (7%). 36%                                                                      solution spaces are framed in a way
situation, their personal struggles and   of the interviewees were providing                                                                     that facilitates ideation.
their aspirations for the future.         care for their children. Others were
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            INTRODUCTION
             FRAMEWORKS

Frameworks are useful tools to ensure that an issue is approached and understood                             THE CAREGIVER'S JOURNEY
in a holistic manner. They help to identify and consider all the components of a                             This framework is used to empathise with the overall experience of caregiving, as
specific problem and provide a reliable way to structure and classify issues logically.                      a series of emotional highs and lows. It helps to understand the challenges faced
                                                                                                             by the caregivers, how they progressively adapt to their new role until they lose
STAKEHOLDER MAPPING                                                                                          it and return to their initial state.
This framework helps to visualise                                               Institutional
and identify key individuals and

                                                                                                     Emotional well-being
                                                                                   Indirect                                  Good
organisations that are present in any
range of situations and analyse their                                               Direct
importance. During our research on
the lives of seniors and caregivers, this                                            Core
framework was used to map the major
                                                                                                                             Bad
stakeholders in the person’s life.                          Source: Eden Strategy Institute

Core stakeholders: The target audience, the people at the core of the issue.                                                Becoming Starting                 Developing             Continuously             Losing         Redefining
                                                                                                                              aware  caregiving                routines                adapting              caregiver        identity
Direct stakeholders: The family and friends the core stakeholders have regular interactions with.
                                                                                                                                                                                                               role
Indirect stakeholders: The neighbours, local community and general public that have an                                      Source: Adapted from "Who Cares?" by National Council of Social Service, 2016.
indirect influence on the core stakeholder’s situation.
Institutional stakeholders: The players from the public, private and social sectors that populate              Becoming aware: When caregivers realise                                Continuously adapting: A calmer period of
the space in which the core stakeholder lives.                                                                 they have to take up care responsibilities.                            caregiving, where caregivers experience less
                                                                                                               Starting caregiving: After receiving the                               ups and downs.
                                                                                                               bad news, the caregiving starts, often not                             Losing caregiver role: The caregiving stops
SOURCES OF ISOLATION                                                                                           allowing for any preparation.                                          due to a positive or negative change in the
This framework categorises the causes of isolation into physical, psychological                                Developing routines: Caregivers start to                               care recipient’s condition.
and social factors. The framework identifies potential triggers of isolation such                              develop habits as they integrate caregiving                            Redefining identity: The loss and subsequent
as major life transitions, atypical events, and social circumstances, and helps to                             into their daily lives.                                                redefining of the caregiver’s identity.
develop targeted solutions.

                                  Mental     Psychological              Cognitive                            THE CONFIDENCE TRIANGLE                                                                          Success

                               health change    factors                  barriers                            This framework is used to break down
                                                                                                             the confidence building process into
                                 Loss of                                                                     smaller parts, to see the links between
                               partner/role                                                                  success, self-esteem, and self-confidence,
        Language &                                  Physical                                                                                                                            Self-esteem                       Self-confidence
                                                                                                             and to impact the process on any of
      cultural barriers                           Impairment
                                                                                                             these three dimensions.
                   Social factors                                                 Physical factors                                                                                    Source: Adapted from “The Self Esteem Triangle”
                                                                                                                                                                                      by Dr. Will Aguila, 2012.
                                                                                                             Success: The attainment of milestones that
                       Limited financial                                   Built
                                                                                                             have been set on the path of a particular goal.
                          resources                                    environment
                                                                                                             Self-esteem: How much a person likes who he                              Confidence: The feeling a person has that she is
                                                                                                             is and how much he accepts/respects himself.                             smart or strong enough to take something on.
Source: Adapted from "Frameworks for Isolation in Adults over 50" by AARP Foundation, 2012.
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
11
                                                                                                                                                           INTRODUCTION
         KEY INSIGHTS

After months of research and                                                       Work                        Life                     Play
interviews     with      experts     and
beneficiaries, 12 key insights were                                       1 Leveraging seniors’      3 Encouraging lifelong   5 Breaking social
identified as being the most serious                                        skills                     learning                 isolation
issues that seniors and caregivers
suffer from, and/or the focus areas with          SENIORS                 How can seniors find       How can seniors be       How can seniors have
the greatest opportunities for positive    (50 years old and above)       more interesting work      motivated to embrace     better and more
impact. Of the 12 insights, six are for                                   opportunities that fit     lifelong learning?       fulfilling social lives?
seniors and six are for caregivers. They                                  their interests and
are categorised into the three themes                                     abilities?
of the LeapForGood 2018 programme:
                                                                          2 Fighting ageism and      4 Building self-         6 Understanding
Work to improve their employability                                         changing negative          confidence               mobility
in the job market;                                                          perceptions
                                                                                                     How can seniors gain     How can seniors with
Life to empower them to learn and                                         How can we improve         the self-confidence to   mobility issues regain
lead fulfilling lives;                                                    inter-generational         learn new things and     their independence to
                                                                          understanding and          apply for jobs?          travel about freely?
Play to enable them to enjoy life                                         fight stereotypes?
better.

                                                                          7 Balancing caregiving     9 Providing caregiving   11 Offering emotional
                                                                            and work                   knowledge                 support
                                                 CAREGIVERS
                                           (To children, elderly, etc.)   How can caregivers         How can caregivers be    How can caregivers
                                                                          have more flexibility in   better equipped with     receive the emotional
                                                                          their professional lives   relevant and timely      support that they need?
                                                                          to accommodate their       caregiving knowledge?
                                                                          caregiving duties?

                                                                          8 Restoring self-          10 Giving caregivers     12 Resolving trade-offs
                                                                            confidence                  relief                   of childminding

                                                                          How can caregivers have How can caregivers have     How can caregivers find
                                                                          higher confidence to      new respite solutions     attractive childminding
                                                                          return to the work force? that reduce caregiving    services to use while they
                                                                                                    stress?                   return to the workforce?
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
INSIGHTS               INTRODUCTION

ON SENIORS   THE CONTEXT
             Singapore has a current total
             population of 5.6 million people.
                                                         There are different types of seniors.
                                                         There are those who need a job

                                                                                                     13
             One million people (18%) were               because they have a lot of expenses,
             over 60 years old in 2015. The senior       and others who are “asset-rich, cash-

                                                                                                     INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
             population is expected to reach 2           poor”, who are not sure what to do
             million people (31%) by 2030. Ageing        because they can’t just downgrade so
             has become an increasingly important        fast. And then, there are those with
             issue over the past decade, which has       enough savings. They still would like to
             sparked a multitude of government           feel valuable. It’s important to look at
             and non-profit initiatives. Nevertheless,   the different needs of people. It’s not
             Singapore still faces a wide range of       one size fits all. If we can have a more
             unmet and growing needs.1                   open discussion and understand their
                                                         needs early, then we can help them
                                                         more.2

             HIGHLIGHTS                                  Ms. Helen Lim, Founding Partner
                                                         and CEO, Silver Spring
             1.4 million seniors aged 50 and
             above live in Singapore5
                                                         THE SILVER TSUNAMI
             27,000 seniors aged 50 and above            The increasing proportion of the
             are looking for a job6                      senior population will have important
                                                         consequences on the society. The ratio
             6,800 seniors were discouraged and          of working-age citizen to senior is
             gave up searching for a job7                projected to fall from 5.1 today,3 to 2.1
                                                         in 2030.4
             More than 60,000 seniors have often
             been treated badly last year, because       Percentage of population over 60
             of their age8
                                                         40
             Over 50,000 seniors used their
             SkillsFuture credit in 20169
                                                         30

                                                         20
             Over 50,000 seniors feel sometimes
             or mostly lonely10                          10

             60,000 seniors aged 65 and above             0
             have mobility issues11                             2015        2030        2050
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
STATE OF THE SENIOR WORKFORCE                     EVOLUTION OF THE SENIOR                                  WHO IS DOING WHAT
(2016, in thousands)                              WORKFORCE (in thousands)                                 There are many government initiatives and non-profit organisations who are
                                                  Over the last ten years, the number of                   catering to the needs of seniors. Many companies also ensure that their workplace

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      15
   322                                            senior workers has grown by over 70%,                    is senior-friendly. Seniors can also count on their community, friends and family
           300                      294
                                                  while the rest of the workforce grew                     for support.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
                     261            42
   254                                            by 3.5%.12 Given the ageing population
                                    2
          219               204                   trend, even more growth is expected.
                                                                                                                                               Institutional stakeholders
                    159                                                                    785
                             84                                                   750
                                    250                                                            ≥70
                                                                           661                     65-69
                             4
                      5                                             575                                                                              Indirect stakeholders                 Senior activity centres,
             8              116
    8                97                                       507                                  60-64                                                                                   community centres:
           73                                      458                                                                                                                                     Social activities
    60

  50-54   55-59     60-64   65-69   ≥70                                                            55-59                                             Direct stakeholders                   Family, friends:
                                                                                                                                                                                           Financial and
                                                                                                                                                                                           emotional support
    Employed
    Unemployed                                                                                     50-54
    Outside labour force                                                                                                                               Core stakeholder
                                                                                                                                                       Senior Workforce
                                                   2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

                                                                                                                   Source: Eden Strategy Institute
AGE PYRAMID OF THE RESIDENT POPULATION (2017)
Singapore’s median age increased from 34 years in 2000 to 40.5 years in 2017.13                            Public sector                                           Social sector
As the older age groups reach retirement age, the pressure on the younger                                  - Agency for Integrated Care (AIC):                     - Social enterprises, charities, voluntary
generations will increase greatly.                                                                           Promote active ageing in Singapore                      welfare organisations
                                               ≥=85                                                        - Council for Third Age (C3A): Promote
         Male                                  80-84                                 Female
   (in thousands)                                                                (in thousands)              active ageing, offer accessible lifelong              Others
                                               75-79
        1,943.5                                70-74                                  2,022.3                learning                                              - Centre for Ageing Research and Education
                                               65-69                                                       - SkillsFuture Singapore: Enable                          (CARE): Achieve health, social inclusion and
                                               60-64                                                         individuals to learn for life                           a high quality of life for the ageing
                                               55-59                                                       - Workforce Singapore (WSG): Enable                       population
                                               50-54
                                               45-49                                                         individuals to adapt and employers to                 - National Geriatric Education and Research
Median Age                                     40-44                                        40.5             transform                                               Institute (GERI): Conduct research on age-
                                               35-39
                                                                                                                                                                     related health issues and promote healthy
                                               30-34
                                               25-29                                                       Private sector                                            ageing
                                               20-24                                                       - Organisations that provide senior-friendly            - Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive
                                               15-19                                                         work environment                                        Employment Practices (TAFEP): Promote
                                               10-14
                                                5-9                                                                                                                  fair and progressive employment practices
                                                0-4

    200               100                0                0          100             200
          Persons (in thousands)             Age Groups        Persons (in thousands)
                                               (Years)
RaiSE SIN GAPORE - Insights Brief February 2018
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

                                                             “When people see my resume, they                          “I work at Changi Airport as a package
                                                             see my age and reject me. I needed                        handler, and they provide good support.
                                                             connections at my workplace in order                      They assign me less strenuous jobs,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 17
                                                             to get a job. If they saw me in person                    for instance controlling the computers
                                                             and see that I am healthy, they might                     instead of carrying the heavy luggage.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
                                                             have hired me.” -Female, 65                               -Male, 70

Volunteers engage passers-by in conversation in Macpherson   “Seniors have a different mindset, one
                                                             that does not necessarily align to the                    “Seniors now are usually engaged in
SUMMARY                                                      technical environment and pace of life                    cleaning jobs which are not suitable
During the Pop-Up Stories Markets,                           that is the norm today. There needs to                    for them due to the risk of falling
133 people were engaged on the                               be more empathy and more positions                        down and it's very tiring physically. It’s
topic of seniors. Passers-by were asked,                     that look at seniors’ capabilities and                    better to employ them in jobs like in
“Do you think there is enough support                        interests. Sometimes I feel they are                      the library where they can sit and work
for seniors at work?”                                        viewed like a burden.” -Female, 34                        comfortably.” -Female, 70
                                                                                                                                                                    A volunteer engages a senior in conversation in Macpherson
                                                                                                                                                                    (top) and responses are collected from passers-by (bottom)
RESPONSES
                                     25%
                                     Yes                                                                               With Singapore’s changing landscape,         Other important quotes
      24%
   Not sure                                                                                                            seniors acknowledge that they do not
                                           53%
                                                                                                                       have the relevant skill sets to find jobs    “I’m becoming more senior myself
                                           No                                                                          that match their experience. There           and I think I will need some help in
                                                                                                                       are training programmes currently in         the ever-developing technology side of
                                                                                                                       place for seniors to update their skills,    things. I look to my children to learn
INSIGHTS & QUOTES HIGHLIGHTS                                                                                           but the structure of the programmes          these skills.” -Male, 64
A majority of seniors (engaged during                                                                                  are often not suited for them.
both pop-ups) have experienced                                                                                         Challenges include: long duration and
discrimination while applying for jobs.                                                                                late timing of training, lack of grants,
The two most common perceptions                                                                                        long distances from home to training         “There seems to be opportunities but
seen by potential employers, the                                                                                       venue, and quick pace of training.           maybe seniors need jobs with higher-
public, and seniors themselves, are                                                                                                                                 level thinking. This will give them a
that seniors are a “burden” and “slow”                                                                                 “I tried finding a job for almost a year,    little more dignity.” -Female, 29
                                                             Volunteers engage seniors in conversation in Macpherson
at work.                                                                                                               but am often told I’m too old. I can
                                                             Most seniors shared that there are                        work any jobs. They told me to attend
“Most employers who find out about                           sufficient low-skill and low-wage jobs,                   courses to upgrade myself, but the
our age do not want to employ                                so it is not the availability of jobs that is             subsidy is only 50%. How do I even
elderly. I’m lucky I have my own shop                        the major challenge to seniors. Rather,                   fork out money without a job? I’m
to work in.” -Female, 54                                     it is finding a job which meets their                     very disheartened.” -Male, 63
                                                             financial needs and physical abilities.
1 Leveraging seniors’ skills
         How can seniors find more interesting work opportunities
         that fit their interests and abilities?

                                                                                                                                                                                                        19
THE CONTEXT                                                                                          FRAMING THE INSIGHT
Many seniors get restless and bored                                                                  What Seniors Want can be grouped into four broad categories: They want a

                                                                                                                                                                                                        INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
once they stop working. They often                   [insert photo of experts]                       supportive workplace; recognition of their skills and experience; work flexibility;
prefer to stay active and keep working                                                               and a purposeful occupation. How can we offer more opportunities that satisfy
to stay financially independent, socially                                                            these needs?
connected, and retain a sense of self-
worth1.
                                                                                                        Senior-friendly                  Recognition         Flexible working          Social
                                            Ms. Helen Lim, Founding Partner and CEO, Silver Spring       environment                     of expertise         arrangements          contribution
In 2016, 40% of people aged 65-69
were still working:                                                                                        Examples:                       Examples:             Examples:
                                            There are a lot of jobs available in delivery,                Comfortable                  Inter-generational     Part-time work,        Examples:
                                                                                                           workplace,                      mentoring,            Freelance,         Volunteering,
                                            cleaning and so on. The challenge is
                                                                                                         Positive social                Customer service,    Entrepreneurship,    Social enterprises,
                                            that many seniors don’t want to work                          interactions,                   Advisory roles     Flexible locations       Charities
                                            in eating outlets, because of the long                       Less physically
                                            hours until 10-11pm. It’s quite a hard                      demanding jobs
Compared to 24% in 20062:                   job, standing around, being a cleaner.
                                            But seniors can also do other things. For
                                            instance, they can be free agents, earn                  Source: Eden Strategy Institute

                                            some commission, and grow a product
                                            or service they believe in, without
                                            investing too much. They can also be                     CURRENT HAPPENINGS
                                            senior entrepreneurs.5                                   The non-profit organisation, RSVP                      members, they serve more than
Even though some are working, 48%                                                                    Singapore trains seniors to become                     200,000 beneficiaries each year,
of seniors deplored the lack of suitable    Ms. Helen Lim                                            volunteers.   After   attending     a                  including those with mental health
jobs to match their qualifications,         Founder and CEO, Silver Spring                           mandatory half-day workshop, seniors                   issues, low-income families and socially
experience,    or   desired      working                                                             are deployed as befrienders, trainers,                 isolated seniors, through what they call
arrangement.3 There are around 27,000                                                                fundraisers and guides, working                        purpose-driven volunteerism.6
seniors looking for a job4. Having                                                                   half a day per week. With over 1,000
worked hard for a few decades, they
desire job opportunities that fit their
interests and tap their abilities.
1
SENIORS SPEAK OUT
Read about the dreams of seniors who
still want to be active and contribute                                                                                                     REFLECTION SPACE

                                                                                                                                                              21
to the society.

                                                                                                                                                              INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
AUNTIE TAN, 52, SENIOR VOLUNTEER                                                    UNCLE LEE, 72, FORMER CLEANER IN
AT CHANGI AIRPORT                                                                   A LANGUAGE SCHOOL                             What surprised you?

Teaching was my passion, but after my     I want to do travel and tourism,          When I worked as a cleaner, I woke up
mother-in-law passed away I didn’t        maybe I can become a tour guide in        at 5am and reached home at 7pm,
want to go back to giving tuition. It     Singapore. I am not sure if I can get     that’s too late. I did 3 hours of transport
was very stressful and made me feel       hired, I would rather do it freelance.    a day. I’m too old to wake up so early
depressed. The hours are too long, and    I also considered launching a nanny       again. I worked in a hawker centre for
my body is ageing. Now I am a volunteer   confinement business to take care of      6 months but it’s tough. You work non-
airport ambassador at Changi. There’s     newborn babies. It will be something      stop, it’s too stressful. My health cannot
no stress and I am happy. It’s a happy    new, totally different from what I have   take long hours anymore. The perfect          Why does it matter?
environment.                              been doing.                               job would be from 9am to 3pm.

FACTS                                     FACTS                                     FACTS
43% of seniors are interested to          18% of seniors want to start a new        64% of seniors want a slower pace of
participate in volunteer work because     career in the future. This represents     life. 40% want to find part-time and
it gives them a sense of self-worth and   over 180,000 seniors eager to join the    flexible hours work. However, these
allows them to stay socially connected    workforce in a new capacity!8             opportunities are rare in the job
with society.7                                                                      market.9
                                          TAKING ACTION                                                                           What are some of the
TAKING ACTION                             She took up courses in tourism and        TAKING ACTION                                 opportunities you see?
She took up volunteering courses and      organizes tours for Society for WINGS,    He lived off his savings until he found
works once a week in Changi Airport,      a charity for senior women, to gain       a job that fit his desired working
helping passengers find their way at      experience.                               arrangement.
the gates.
                                          OPPORTUNITY                               OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITY                               How might we support seniors who          How might we offer more part-time
How might we leverage on seniors’         want to engage in entrepreneurship        and flexible hours work opportunities
interest in volunteering to gain          and freelancing?                          that are also less physically-demanding
experience for future work?                                                         for seniors?
2          Fighting ageism and changing
           negative perceptions
           Ageism is the stereotyping and discrimination of people on the basis
           of their age. How can we improve inter-generational understanding
           and fight stereotypes?                                                        FRAMING THE INSIGHT
                                                                                         The vicious cycle of ageism prevents many older workers from returning to the
                                                                                         workforce. Ageism is the generational bias that seniors do not perform well at

                                                                                                                                                                                       23
                                                                                         work because of their age. How can we reframe people’s mindsets to start a
THE CONTEXT                                                                              virtuous cycle where seniors are being able to bring value?

                                                                                                                                                                                       INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
In 2016, there were over 400 workplace      There is always this challenge of
                                                                                                       2                                               2
discrimination complaints:                  overcoming ageism. Whether big or
                                                                                         VICIOUS           Action based                VIRTUOUS             Action based
                                            small, organisations tend to have a lack                          on belief                                       on belief
                                                                                         CYCLE                                         CYCLE
              20%                           of will to hire senior workers. There are                      Discrimination                                    Employers
              complaints about age          some rules about discrimination, but                           while recruiting                                  give seniors
                                            they are not so strong. Employers often                            for jobs                                       a chance
                                            ask employment agencies for people
                                            not above 40 years old. If the supervisors
                                            are young, it happens that they have         1                         3                      1                        3
Of these age related complaints, 80%                                                           Underlying                Reaction               Underlying               Reaction
arose from discriminatory criteria in job   a bias against working with an older                   belief                to action                  belief               to action
advertisements.                             person.4                                           "Seniors are            Discouraged,            "Seniors can            Seniors work
                                                                                             lazy, they don't          seniors stop           still bring a lot        hard to prove
Some jobseekers also complained             Ms. Helen Lim                                     want to work"             looking for               of value"             their worth
                                                                                                                           a job
about inappropriate questions or            Founder and CEO, Silver Spring
comments about their age being made
during interviews.1 Ageism can be very                                                                 4                                                4
                                                                                                           Consequence                                      Consequence
discouraging for senior jobseekers.
                                                                                                           Seniors stay at                                     Positive
                                                                                                           home and do                                       examples of
Of the 10,000 discouraged workers in                                                                          nothing                                       older workers
2016:

 68% were aged 50 & above2
                                                                                         Source: Eden Strategy Institute

This will increase in the coming years
when a significant portion of the                                                        CURRENT HAPPENINGS
workforce will be aged 50 years and                                                      The Tripartite Alliance for Fair &           The    Intergenerational     Learning
older.3                                                                                  Progressive Employment Practices             Programme (ILP) matches youths
                                                                                         (TAFEP)    launched     a   marketing        and seniors in a group learning
                                                                                         campaign called “Ability is Ageless” to      environment, where seniors acquire
                                                                                         highlight the importance of seniors in       new knowledge from the youths’
                                                                                         the workforce, and the experience and        sharing. 97% of the youths and 94%
                                                                                         knowledge that they bring with them.         of the seniors surveyed later said it
                                                                                         It encourages people to put aside            improved their perception of the other
                                                                                         stereotypes and focus on skills and          generation.6
                                                                                         competence.5
2
SENIORS SPEAK OUT
Read about the dreams of seniors who
still want to be active and contribute                                                                                                      REFLECTION SPACE

                                                                                                                                                               25
                                                  [insert photo of person 0]
to society.

                                                                                                                                                               INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
AUNTIE CHAN, 72, MANAGER OF A               UNCLE LEE, 72, FORMER CLEANER IN           AUNTIE LIM, 67, PERSONAL IMAGE
CAFÉ IN A COLLEGE                           A LANGUAGE SCHOOL                          COACH FOR SENIORS                           What surprised you?

Young bosses think seniors cannot           I am looking for a cleaner job, but I am   To work with young people can be a
perform, don’t know how to serve            afraid that they don’t take old people.    challenge. They have a different style
customers well, cannot speak well and       It has never happened to me but it did     of working. Often the personal touch is
give only yes or no answers because         to many of my friends. They call and       no longer there. Perhaps with the level
they don’t understand the question.         when the employer asks for their age,      of stress at work they have become
The young trust the young more when         they say the position is filled.           rather individualistic and competitive.
they haven’t even worked with seniors                                                  They only want to be the best, they
before. They think they don’t have          FACTS                                      don’t have the same values as we do.        Why does it matter?
the strength and energy and will get        21% of seniors have often heard about
injured easily.                             other seniors being discriminated          FACTS
                                            because of their age, and 6% have          28% of seniors have shared negative
FACTS                                       often experienced unfair treatment         sentiments towards people in their
63% of seniors complained that              because of their age.9                     twenties and 20% are uncomfortable
organisations prefer to hire younger                                                   holding a conversation with millenials.10
workers.7 But according to some             TAKING ACTION                              This can lead some seniors to avoid jobs
employers,   seniors   bring   better       He asked his friends if they are aware     in companies with young employees.
mentoring, leading, and coaching, and       of any job openings, or just walked in                                                 What are some of the
strong business knowledge.8                 and asked for a job.                       TAKING ACTION                               opportunities you see?
                                                                                       She organised workshops for fellow
TAKING ACTION                               OPPORTUNITY                                senior women because she feels it is
She showed her boss that she was            How might we fight the discrimination      more satisfying to work with seniors.
hard-working and is now the manager         that senior jobseekers face when it
of a café that employs seniors.             comes to hiring?                           OPPORTUNITY
                                                                                       How     might    we  foster better
OPPORTUNITY                                                                            inter-generational  bonding   and
How      might    we      rethink     job                                              understanding?
opportunities for seniors to tap into
their strengths and abilities, instead of
focusing on their weaknesses?
3 Encouraging lifelong learning
          Singapore aims to develop a lifelong learning culture through the
          SkillsFuture initiative, but the take-up rate has been low. Seniors may
          require different outreach channels, new teaching methods, flexible
          learning schedules, and content that is more relevant to them. How
          can we make it easier for seniors to embrace lifelong learning?

                                                                                                                                                                                                  27
                                                                                                                                                                                                  INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
THE CONTEXT                                                                                          FRAMING THE INSIGHT
In general, seniors have positive                                                                    Effective Learning is achieved in three stages. Seniors must first become aware
attitudes towards the benefits that                                                                  of the availability of learning opportunities and of their knowledge gap. Then
lifelong learning brings.                                                                            they must have the motivation to participate in the act of learning. This can be
                                                                                                     facilitated through the courses’ design to ensure that the learning takes place.
 44%

 of seniors want to learn a new skill
                                             Ms. Brenda Ang and Ms. Syafiqah Najian of NTUC U Live          Stage 1:                      Stage 2:            Stage 3:            Effective
 37%                                                                                                       Awareness                     Motivation          Facilitation         Learning

 of seniors have the intention to learn
                                             Seniors are keen to learn more                                Examples:                      Examples:           Examples:
 new things through an online course
                                             things and upgrade themselves. We                         Communication                    Encouragement     Teaching method
 33%                                         encourage seniors to have at least                            channels                       Incentives      Teaching schedule
                                             the basic knowledge in technology to                      Geographic reach                Employer support   Content of courses
 of seniors want to retrain by taking up a   not become obsolete. We don’t want                         Target audience
 formal course1
                                             employers to use this as an excuse
SkillsFuture is being used by seniors        not to take them. We want to equip
aged 50 and above. However, 47% of           seniors with the skills to use software,                Source: Eden Strategy Institute
people find it a challenge to make           smartphones and computers.4
the time, 30% do not receive support
from their employers, and 20%                Ms. Brenda Ang Zhi Ying
simply lack the individual motivation        Senior Specialist, NTUC U Live                          CURRENT HAPPENINGS
to participate.2 Other barriers make                                                                 The    Silver   Industry     Standards               The Infocomm Media Development
learning more difficult, such as the                                                                 Roadmap and Guidelines on user-                      Authority (IMDA) launched an online
teaching method and promotion                                                                        interface design for older adults                    portal providing guides, ebooks,
channels used. Many seniors still do                                                                 provides guidance on the design of                   videos, and seminars to teach seniors
not know how to use a computer                                                                       age-friendly digital devices and online              how to use new technologies such as
or a smartphone, let alone access                                                                    services. Through greater ease of use                mobile devices and chat applications.
the Internet.3 Yet a majority of these                                                               and learning, seniors are encouraged                 The website has a clean design, large
courses are advertised online.                                                                       to adopt technology and use it                       fonts and simple instructions, and
                                                                                                     confidently to continue learning and                 complementary classroom sessions
                                                                                                     stay connected to society.5                          are available.6
3
SENIORS SPEAK OUT                                                                                                                        REFLECTION SPACE

                                                                                                                                                            29
See below to learn about three seniors’
experiences with learning and what

                                                                                                                                                            INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
helped them acquire new skills.

AUNTIE TAN, 52, SENIOR VOLUNTEER           AUNTIE CHAN, 72, MANAGER OF A               UNCLE LEE, 72, FORMER CLEANER IN
AT CHANGI AIRPORT                          CAFÉ IN A COLLEGE                           A LANGUAGE SCHOOL                        What surprised you?

When I started my volunteering job         Courses are good, but I have no time        I once went to a job training class
at Changi Airport I realised everything    because I work. There is only a limited     to learn about computers. I only
was Information Technology (IT) there.     offer of schedule, so I never try because   heard about it because some young
I thought to myself: ‘Us seniors we have   I don’t have time. And in the holiday,      people came to the neighbourhood
to upgrade ourselves. We have to keep      I have to do housekeeping. But more         to promote the course. I like this
up’. Over time, I also had to learn how    than courses, the best way to learn is      approach. Otherwise I don’t know
to google and how to do e-banking. I       to ask people, go on the phone and try.     where to find courses.
decided to take IT courses but there are   Trial and error is the best technique.                                               Why does it matter?
too many courses. It is overwhelming.                                                  FACTS
                                           FACTS                                       Only 13% of seniors located courses
FACTS                                      The barriers to seniors learning were       that are near to where they live.9
52% of seniors learned computer and IT     listed as being busy with housework         Computer and Internet usage rate
skills from family members, 46% were       (49%); still working (49%); and available   by seniors aged 60 and above is 25%
self-taught through experimentation,       courses not relevant to everyday life       and 30%, respectively.10 This makes it
and only 23% learned from courses          (48%). Seniors feel they are too busy to    hard to reach seniors through digital
and workshops.7                            partake in workshops and courses.8          channels.
                                                                                                                                What are some of the
TAKING ACTION                              TAKING ACTION                               TAKING ACTION                            opportunities you see?
She played games on her smartphone         She learned how to use a smartphone         He went to a course out of curiosity
to learn how to use it.                    and apps by herself, using her husband      but left when he realised everything
                                           as a “guinea pig” to find out how to        was taught in English.
OPPORTUNITY                                send photos and videos on WhatsApp.
How might we help seniors learn new                                                    OPPORTUNITY
things through better-suited training      OPPORTUNITY                                 How might we better reach seniors
methods?                                   How might we make it easier for busy        to raise their awareness of learning
                                           seniors to engage in learning at their      opportunities?
                                           own pace?
4 Building self-confidence
         Some seniors feel like they are too old, others are possibly illiterate or
         simply too shy. How can seniors gain the self-confidence to learn new
         things and apply for jobs?

                                                                                                                                                                                                           31
THE CONTEXT                                                                             FRAMING THE INSIGHT
Seniors can become demoralised and          Sometimes seniors just need an example,     The Confidence Triangle. Self-esteem, self-confidence, and success are intimately-

                                                                                                                                                                                                           INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
pessimistic as they grow older. They feel   someone to look up to. We try to push       related. One cannot exist without the others. A lack of self-esteem hinders self-
that they are too old to acquire new        success stories and get people inspired,    confidence, and a lack of self- confidence makes it difficult to achieve success.
skills or start a new job. Some seniors     so hopefully they can have a change of      The key is to act on all three dimensions simultaneously and incrementally.3
believe that their “best days are over”     mindset. They need to know that there
and are simply “waiting to die”. Giving     are better horizons if they are proactive                                                      Success
these seniors hope for the future will      and looking for it. Hopefully with the                                              Successful experiences where
go a long way towards having a higher       stories and profiles we showcase, it                                                  goals have been attained
quality of life.                            encourages them to seek more beyond                                               Example: volunteering experience
                                            what they are already comfortable with
Of course, this is not representative of    and change their mindset.2                            Self-esteem                                                              Self-confidence
all seniors:                                                                                Cognitive and emotional                                             Trust in oneself and in one’s ability to
                                            Ms. Syafiqah Najian                            appraisal of our own worth                                            engage successfully with the world
                                            Executive, Community Engagement               Example: photo shoot session                                               Example: job hunting skills
                 63%
                                            & Membership, NTUC U Live
                 see themselves as
                 successful agers 1                                                     Source: Adapted from “The Self Esteem Triangle” by Dr. Will Aguila, 2012.

                                                                                        CURRENT HAPPENINGS                                            Volunteers from the group Window of
These seniors can have outlets for                                                      A 70-year-old Singaporean lady works                          Colours organise free makeover and
them to share their experiences and                                                     for a food delivery company as a                              photo shoots sessions for seniors, to
become role models to their peers.                                                      “walker”, delivering food in the CBD                          boost their confidence and help them
                                                                                        area on foot. She says that age does                          be more positive about life.5
                                                                                        not determine what you can or cannot
                                                                                        do and that she feels younger and
                                                                                        more alert.4
4
SENIORS SPEAK OUT
Loss of confidence is common when                                                                                                           REFLECTION SPACE

                                                                                                                                                               33
one reaches old age. Read below to
find out how seniors have experienced

                                                                                                                                                               INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
it or seen it around them.

AUNTIE LIM, 67, PERSONAL IMAGE              AUNTIE TEO, 76, WIDOW CAREGIVING            AUNTIE CHAN, 72, MANAGER OF A
COACH FOR SENIORS                           TO HER GRANDCHILDREN                        CAFÉ IN A COLLEGE                          What surprised you?

I want to help ladies. Most of the ones I   I would consider working because I          Seniors are scared to work. They have
meet don’t know what to do with their       need money, but I am not educated           the wrong mindset, they must go
life. We can help them embrace ageing       because my family was poor. I cannot        back with pride. Just because you are
with confidence by empowering them          speak English, cannot calculate,            old does not mean you are useless.
to take responsibility of their own         cannot read or write Mandarin. I asked      Seniors are bad in interviews, they give
health, happiness and security. After       hawker stalls for a job, but they never     only yes or no answers, they don’t talk
60, many think they are over and down       call back. There is no point trying. It’s   enough, they are too timid. They have
the hill! They think ‘I don’t need to do    too difficult to start from scratch.        to change their mindset.                   Why does it matter?
anything, no need to waste time, why
bother?                                     FACTS                                       FACTS
                                            Only 2% and 3% of seniors aged 55           36% of seniors feel they do not possess
FACTS                                       to 65 have high-level literacy and          the right job hunting skills. This is a
28% of seniors said that they are too       numeracy skills, respectively. Nearly       problem for less-educated seniors.
old to learn new things.6 For seniors       80% did not learn English in their          51% of them see it as a barrier to
with poorer memory, can they be             childhood.7                                 continued employment.8
taught in a way where information is
easier to grasp and remember?               TAKING ACTION                               TAKING ACTION                              What are some of the
                                            She asked her friends for referrals, but    She was supportive and open to             opportunities you see?
TAKING ACTION                               her illiteracy is a big obstacle.           seniors returning to work. She shows
She gave grooming classes to senior                                                     them how to do the job and gave
women to boost their self-esteem and        OPPORTUNITY                                 them time to re-adapt.
confidence.                                 How might we equip seniors with basic
                                            tools that can have a great impact on       OPPORTUNITY
OPPORTUNITY                                 their self-confidence?                      How might we equip seniors with skills
How might we inspire and motivate                                                       that increase their self-confidence to
seniors to believe in their intellectual                                                compete in the job market?
capabilities?
5 Breaking social isolation
         Loneliness and social isolation put seniors at risk
         of depression and suicide. How can seniors have
         better and more fulfilling lives?

                                                                                                                                                                                                  35
THE CONTEXT                                                                                 FRAMING THE INSIGHT

                                                                                                                                                                                                  INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
Singaporeans aged 60        and   older    An activity with overwhelming response           How isolation happens among seniors is a result of three different categories of
reported that they felt:                   on our platform is travel. Seniors enjoy         factors. These categories include triggers of social isolation such as the death
                                           travelling with a group of peers. They           of a spouse or a close friend, the loss of employment, moving to a new place, or
              32%                          see the importance of social bonding, of         a health decline.6
              sometimes lonely
                                           making new friends. Individual travellers
                19%                        join our group and end up being friends.
                                                                                                                              Mental     Psychological              Cognitive
                mostly lonely              Our travels are customized to meet their
                                                                                                                           health change    factors                  barriers
                                           needs and physical capabilities. Seniors
                                           also go for fitness activities, they do it to
                                                                                                                             Loss of
Social isolation can lead to adverse       stay active but also to meet their peers.4
                                                                                                                           partner/role
consequences. The number of suicides                                                               Language &                                   Physical
among people aged 60 and above has         Ms. Syafiqah Najian                                   cultural barriers                            Impairment
risen from accounting for 23% of all       Executive, Community Engagement                                     Social factors                                                Physical factors
suicides in 2000, to 30% in 2014.1         & Membership, NTUC U Live
                                                                                                                   Limited financial                                   Built
Among other things, improving              SENIOR HOUSEHOLDS (AGED 65 & OVER)          5                              resources                                    environment
relationships with children and
                                                       9%
grandchildren, or having someone                                         30%
                                            single parent
to rely on, can make a significant           living with
                                                                         couple living      Source: Adapted from "Frameworks for Isolation in Adults over 50" by AARP Foundation, 2012.

difference    in   alleviating    social                                   with children
                                              children
isolation. More than the number of
          2

friends and family, it is the quality of           13%                                      CURRENT HAPPENINGS
those relationships that matter.3          living alone                                     In the residential estate of Whampoa                        Silver Horizon uses travel, for seniors
                                                                              29%           near downtown Singapore, a fifth of                         by seniors, as a platform to build new
                                                19%
                                                                          couple living     the residents are over 60 years old.                        friendships. They host bonding lunches
                                              others
                                                                         without children   This estate is an experiment by the                         where the seniors can get to know
                                                                                            Tsao Foundation to provide a place                          other seniors with similar interests
                                                                                            where seniors can grow old in their                         with whom they feel like travelling.
                                                                                            own homes. Tsao Foundation works                            They then organise the trip together.8
                                                                                            with grassroot groups to organize
                                                                                            activities for seniors, so they can keep
                                                                                            busy and socialize. Healthy seniors are
                                                                                            encouraged to visit those who are less
                                                                                            mobile.7
5
SENIORS SPEAK OUT
Three seniors shared with us why and
how they have experienced social                                                                                                          REFLECTION SPACE

                                                                                                                                                             37
isolation in their daily lives.

                                                                                                                                                             INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
AUNTIE LIM, 67, PERSONAL IMAGE            AUNTIE ANG, 66, WIDOW & FORMER              UNCLE LEE, 72, FORMER CLEANER IN
COACH FOR SENIORS                         CLEANER IN HAWKER CENTRES                   A LANGUAGE SCHOOL                          What surprised you?

My social life has slowed down. My        I don’t have many social interactions,      I used to stay in Toa Payoh. I had more
friends go out less for chats. They       just some quick conversations. After        friends there. I was staying with my
are tired and go to bed early. Social     3 or 4pm I stay at home and sleep.          wife, but after my divorce I moved to a
enterprises should visit seniors and      There’s nothing else to do when you         senior activity centre in Ang Mo Kio. I
talk to them! Seniors should get out of   live alone in a room, it’s boring. I take   have less friends here. I hardly meet my
their home and socialize, have a more     sleeping pills to help me sleep. I need     daughters. They stay very far and are
meaningful life. Having a social group    to work somewhere with many people          working. I don’t want to bother them.
to chat and speak out, for instance       and noise, so as not to think about my      I also hardly talk with my roommate        Why does it matter?
with neighbours, is very therapeutic.     husband’s passing.                          because he sleeps very early.

FACTS                                     FACTS                                       FACTS
68% of seniors intend to find new         Close to 58,000 seniors between 50-         6% of HDB elderly residents reported
friendships in the future, but only 42%   64 and 47,000 seniors aged 65 and           never keeping in touch with other
plan to join a social organisation for    above lived alone in 2016. Together,        family members, and 13% only a few
older persons.9 Why are some seniors      this represents 67% of all one-person       times a year.11 What can explain these
not more proactive?                       households.10                               weak family ties?
                                                                                                                                 What are some of the
TAKING ACTION                             TAKING ACTION                               TAKING ACTION                              opportunities you see?
She attended courses to interact          She started going to church to meet         He goes to the community centre to
with the other participants, mainly       new friends and goes to the park on         sing karaoke with his friends, and to
housewives and retirees.                  Saturdays with friends from the senior      the local coffee shop to watch TV.
                                          centre.
OPPORTUNITY                                                                           OPPORTUNITY
How might we facilitate the building      OPPORTUNITY                                 How might we strengthen the
of friendships among seniors?             How might we help seniors living            relationships between seniors and
                                          alone to feel less lonely and have more     their family members?
                                          social interactions?
6 Understanding mobility
         Many seniors have mobility issues due to joint problems,
         muscle weakness, and back pain. How can seniors with
         mobility issues regain their independence to travel
         about freely?

                                                                                                                                                                                            39
THE CONTEXT                                                                              FRAMING THE INSIGHT

                                                                                                                                                                                            INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
Since 2011, about 16,000 seniors          Job redesigns for seniors help to make         For seniors, mobility enablers have the objective of increasing their safety,
received subsidies for mobility devices   the job easier, smarter, and safer. ‘Easier’   comfort, productivity and abilities. These solutions must be readily accessible
such as wheelchairs and walking           in the sense that it is less physically        and affordable.
aids.1 There are around 60,000 people,    demanding for the worker, not to have to
aged 65 and above, who are either         move around extensively to get the job
semi-ambulant or non-ambulant.2           done. ‘Smarter’ so you use technology to                Safety                       Comfort              Productivity           Abilities
Many of these seniors cannot explore      track and improve the processes within.
Singapore beyond the comfort of           And ‘safer’ because you are concerned                Examples:                      Examples:             Examples:              Examples:
their homes, preventing them from         about the mobility of older workers                 Slip-resistant               Reserved seating,       Comfortable            Walking aids,
engaging in social activities, going      as well. These are the three guiding               bathroom tiles,                  Additional            workplace,            Wheelchairs,
to church or temple, volunteering, or     principles for job redesign. 5                      Grab bars in                     benches,          Process redesign,          Scooters,
finding a job. Providing assistance for                                                      toilets, Ramps,                Neighbourhood        New technologies,         Wheelchair
older adults with mobility challenges     Ms. Jessica Loo                                         Stairs                    shuttle bus, lifts     Urban design          transportation
also contributes to their mental well-    Manager, Workplace Policy & Strategy                                                                     architecture
being and reduces social isolation.3      Division, Ministry of Manpower

Ambulatory status of seniors aged 75                                                     Source: Eden Strategy Institute
and above:4

Population    Requirement
                                                                                         CURRENT HAPPENINGS
11,600 (6%)   Walking aids
                                                                                         Sorgen, a rehabilitative company                        The Green Man+ initiative by the Land
≥9,700 (5%)   Some physical assistance
                                                                                         founded by Serene Tan, a young                          Transport Authority (LTA) allows elderly
                                                                                         Singaporean entrepreneur, created an                    pedestrians more time to cross the
3,900 (2%)    Total physical assistance                                                  innovative walking aid to cater to the                  road by tapping their senior citizen
                                                                                         needs of the elderly and less-mobile                    card on the reader mounted on traffic
                                                                                         patients. By completely eliminating                     light poles.7
                                                                                         the need for lifting, their product,
                                                                                         called GlydeSafe, helps seniors live a
                                                                                         better life through enhanced mobility.6
6
SENIORS SPEAK OUT
Here are some examples on how
mobility issues are affecting the lives                                                                                                       REFLECTION SPACE

                                                                                                                                                                 41
of these three seniors.

                                                                                                                                                                 INSIGHTS ON SENIORS
AUNTIE TEO, 76, WIDOW CAREGIVING            AUNTIE WONG, 64, SINGLE SENIOR,               AUNTIE ANG, 66, WIDOW & FORMER
TO HER GRANDCHILDREN                        WORKED IN A COFFEE SHOP                       CLEANER IN HAWKER CENTRES                  What surprised you?

Because of my health I cannot squat         Because of my leg problem, I have to          Every afternoon after my nap, I like to
down. Standing is ok but only for a         be careful. If I take the bus it’s okay,      walk around the neighbourhood, but
short time, but if I sit it gives a bad     but I cannot walk for long. I go every        I cannot walk for long because of my
image. I don’t want to be seen as lazy.     week to St. Andrew’s Community                leg and my back pains. It’s also why I
I just want a simple job I can do, not      Chapel. I walk slowly but inside is not       don’t travel much. I wait until it gets
too difficult, not too physical, with no    hot because I am passing through the          better.
responsibility. It should not be too far    hospital with aircon. If I’m tired, they’ve
also, because when the bus swings I         the chair for resting. I just stop for five   FACTS                                      Why does it matter?
am afraid to fall.                          minutes and then continue to walk.            25% of seniors over 60 suffer from joint
                                                                                          pain.11 This can impair their ability to
FACTS                                       FACTS                                         participate in external activities, and
21% of older women and 8% of men            11% of seniors rated their mobility as        gives the feeling of being stuck in the
reported limitations in performing          poor, below average or average.9 13%          neighbourhood.
activities of daily living such as taking   of seniors aged 65 and above are semi-
public transport or preparing meals.8       or non-ambulant.10                            TAKING ACTION
                                                                                          The senior activity centre nearby has a
TAKING ACTION                               TAKING ACTION                                 bus and takes her out on Saturdays to      What are some of the
She worked in a senior activity centre      She works at the senior activity centre       church, the park or even the zoo.          opportunities you see?
close by. She could take breaks             near her home. She plans to work at
whenever she needed and talk with           the food court when she gets better.          OPPORTUNITY
her friends.                                                                              How might we enable seniors with
                                            OPPORTUNITY                                   mobility issues to engage in more
OPPORTUNITY                                 How      might   we     create  more          social activities?
How might we provide more work              senior-friendly  infrastructure  and
opportunities that fit seniors’ reduced     transportation options?
mobility?
INSIGHTS ON             INTRODUCTION

CAREGIVERS    THE CONTEXT
              Caregivers are those who provide care
              to a person requiring support due
              to disability, illness or special needs.
                                                            For all types of caregivers, the
                                                            experience is a difficult one. When
                                                            looking at disabilities that require
              Caregivers are usually family members         caregiving, one can understand how
              of the care recipient. As the first line of   the role of caregivers in Singapore will
              support, they play a critical role in the     massively gain in importance.
              society.
                                                            Depending on where they stand
              Mothers are also considered to be             in their caregiving journey, they
              caregivers.      In Singapore, 72% of         have a variety of needs to make this
              women take a break at some point in           experience easier. These needs include
              their career..1 This break is synonymous      being offered flexible work, building
              with difficulties to re-enter the             self-confidence, accessing caregiving
              workforce down the road. Currently            knowledge, enjoying respite, getting
              in Singapore, there are over 35,000           necessary emotional support, and
              women looking to return to work in            having adequate childminding options
              the next two years.2                          at their disposal.

                                                                                                         INSIGHTS ON CAREGIVERS 43
                                                            Caregivers are a very, very important
              HIGHLIGHTS                                    component that has not been really
                                                            attended to, attention hasn’t been
              210,000 caregivers are aged between           paid to it. Until recently, there was very
              18 and 694                                    little support in terms of mindshare
                                                            and physical resources. No one realised
              Nearly 100,000 caregivers are working         that caregivers needed support.
              full-time5
                                                            Now there is a growing awareness of
              60,000 working caregivers do not have         need, as a result there are sprouting
              flexible working arrangements6                services. I hope that in the time to
                                                            come, this support for caregivers will
              45,000 people who suffer from dementia7       be a very mainstreamed idea, and that
                                                            there will be mainstream programmes,
              Around 20,000 caregivers suffer from          but at the moment there aren’t any.3
              significant stress8
                                                            Ms. Anita Fam
              Less than 10,000 caregivers use               Vice-President, Board of Directors,
              individual support services9                  National Council of Social Service
KEY REASONS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE               CAPACITY OF DISABILITY SERVICES11        WHO IS DOING WHAT
OF WORKFORCE (2016, in thousands)10         In the past years, the capacity of       There are many stakeholders helping caregivers in their difficult journey. From
                                            services has been expanded to serve      the public to the private and social sectors, caregivers have access to support
                                            more seniors with disabilities. But      groups, charities and social enterprises. Many of them can also count on their
                         280
                                            with the explosion expected, the next    friends and families.
  Discouraged             9
                                            decades will be challenging.
For caregiving            47
                                                                                                                         Institutional stakeholders

 For childcare            53
                                                                            850
                                            Adult                                                                              Indirect stakeholders           Caregiver support groups,
                                            disability        700
                                                                                                                                                               online communities:
                                            homes                                                                                                              Emotional support, tips
For housework            171
                                            Day                             1,200                                              Direct stakeholders             Families, friends: Financial
                                            activity          950                                                                                              and emotional support,
                                            centres                                                                                                            respite care

                                                                                                                                 Core stakeholder

                                                                                                                                                                                              INSIGHTS ON CAREGIVERS 45
                         ≥25                                  2012          2015                                                 Senior Workforce

                                                                                             Source: Eden Strategy Institute

PROJECTION OF SENIORS WITH                                                           Public sector                                           Private sector:
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY12                                                              - Agency for Integrated Care (AIC):                     Organisations that provide flexible work
(in thousands)                                                                         Offer care services and information                   arrangements and re-entry programmes
The number of seniors who have                                                       - Ministry of Social and Family
difficulty performing daily activities is                                      290     Development (MSF): Promote a                          Social sector:
expected to increase in the next few                                 250       147     caring society                                        Social enterprises, charities, voluntary
decades.                                                                             - National Council of Social Service                    welfare organisations
                                                               204   139
                                                                                       (NCSS): Ensure an effective social
                                                       159     121                     service ecosystem                                     Others:
                                            124                                      - Singapore Silver Pages (SSP):                         - TAFEP: Promote fair and progressive
                                                       96
                                    97                                         143     Empower seniors and caregivers in                       employment practices
                                            72                       111               making informed care decisions                        - Hospitals: Provide care and organize
                           60-79    54
                                                               83                    - Employment and Employability                            support groups reunions
                                            52         63
                           ≥80      43                                                 Institute (e2i): Create solutions for
                                                                                       better employment and employability
                                   2015     2020       2025   2030   2035     2040
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