SPEECH BY MR YIP HON WENG, MP FOR YIO CHU KANG SMC AT THE RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, APRIL 2023

Mr Speaker Sir,?

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1.???I would like to thank Madam President for sharing her views on the Government’s plans and priorities for the remaining term of government. Today, I will focus my speech on the topic of ageing, specifically the concept of productive longevity.

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2.???We have made significant progress to support successful ageing in Singapore, in the preceding half term of the Government. We raised the retirement age to help seniors stay active and engaged in society. Our CPF schemes were updated, to better cater to the changing needs of our ageing population[1]. We have strengthened our healthcare system through Healthier SG, by focusing on preventive care. We are also scaling up healthcare and long-term care facilities in the community, to better support our seniors.

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3. But there is still much more to be done. Being a country with one of the highest life expectancies in the world, but also one having the lowest birth rates, we face a double whammy. We must address the reality that every household in Singapore will eventually have a senior member. It is projected that by 2030, 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above. This ratio is expected to increase further.

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4.???This rapid expansion of our ageing population means that the productive engagement of our seniors is no longer optional. It will be an absolute necessity. ?We must encourage our seniors to engage in gainful activities, that will not only benefit themselves, but also their families, communities, and society as a whole. I will speak on 3 general areas: work, contribution and care for others – 3 areas which I believe are critical elements for productive longevity.?

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(A)???Work

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5.???First, Mr Speaker sir, work. Steve Jobs once said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." Wise words indeed. We can continue loving what we do, even as we grow old. We must thereby support our seniors to work longer for those who want to, are healthy enough and still have the passion to do so.

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6.???The relevant initiatives in this year's Budget are a step in the right direction. It is heartening to note that our senior employability rate is healthy, as compared to OECD countries[2].

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7.???Correspondingly, we should focus on creating quality jobs for our seniors. This enables them to utilise their depth of knowledge and experience acquired over a lifetime. The health benefits associated with ongoing mental engagement are numerous. Moreover, mentoring and job-sharing allow seniors to pass on their skills to younger and less experienced employees.

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8.???That said, it is important to recognise that many older workers desire part-time work with flexible options, which allow them to spend time on leisure and with their families. I fully support the call for more flexible work options for seniors, as previously emphasised in my COS speech. There are several ways that we can implement these options, such as sabbatical leaves, job-sharing, micro jobs, and phased retirement. These concepts are relatively new to our workforce. As such, there may be resistance and scepticism from employers. The Government should take the lead and show how they can be implemented with minimal disruption, while still reaping the benefits. I urge the Government to take more proactive measures to introduce and incorporate these concepts into more places of employment.

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(B) Contribute

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9.???Second, Mr Speaker sir, is the concept of giving. We must actively encourage our seniors to volunteer and share their skills with others. Silver years can be a time for renewal, where individuals can explore new passions and interests, engage in meaningful activities, and continue to contribute to society. The numerous benefits of volunteering for seniors include better self-rated health, higher life satisfaction, and prevention of cognitive decline over time.

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10.???Organisations like RSVP Singapore are excellent partners in growing senior volunteerism. However, we should assess our current volunteerism framework, and determine how we can increase volunteerism rates. How do we compare globally with other countries on this front? Are there specific targets that we have set ourselves in this area? Besides, it would also be helpful to consider other demographic factors such as income levels, gender, race and religion to ensure that volunteering opportunities are inclusive and varied.[3]

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(C) Care

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11.???Third, Mr Speaker sir, we should enable care. Care for seniors and recognising caregivers’ contributions. This includes providing informal caregivers with more support, and professionalising caregiving as a career, to meet the rising demand for caregiving needs. The role of a caregiver is a challenging one, that requires significant physical and emotional effort. With our demographic shifts, we are also now seeing a greater number of seniors caring for other seniors. In my Yio Chu Kang estate, I have a 70 plus year old daughter caring for a 90 plus year old mother. This is becoming a regular scenario. Regrettably, we often see the bulk of caregiving responsibilities being shouldered by a single individual - ?typically a wife, mother, or daughter. There remains a significant gender disparity in caregiving, with women assuming a disproportionate amount of the workload. Can we take steps to encourage men to participate more in caregiving? Achieving this will require us to challenge the societal norms and gendered attitudes, that place greater emphasis on men building careers and less on caregiving responsibilities.

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12.???It is essential to enhance caregiver training. This is to ensure that caregivers have the necessary skills to look after their loved ones competently. There are currently over 40 training providers offering more than 200 Caregivers Training Grant-approved courses.[4] Nonetheless, it is pertinent to evaluate the effectiveness of these programmes. What is the current take-up rate and how beneficial do participants find these courses? Additionally, we need to increase awareness about the availability of these courses, and ensure that the accessibility and scheduling meet the demand. How can the Government provide additional support in this area?

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13.???Expanding caregiver support is critical, as Singapore's population ages and more people require informal caregiving. MOH has taken steps to enhance caregiver support. Besides training as mentioned earlier, over the years, enhancements have been made to financial support, caregiver respite services, and platforms to help with care navigation. There have also been continued attempts to encourage flexible work arrangements. It is also good that we are recognising that caregivers themselves too, need self-care to prevent burnout.[5] [6] Can we explore further ways to improve caregiver support, such as offering additional caregiver leave?

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14.???As the demand for caregiving services continues to grow, we should recognise caregiving as a valuable career choice. Professionalising caregiving may attract more people to the profession, and improve the quality of care provided. Presently, caregiving is often associated with tasks like medical escorting, personal care, and housekeeping. On the contrary, caregiving extends beyond these roles. There are opportunities for specialisation and leadership, including caregiver trainers, managers, schedulers, and care assessment professionals, just to name some. To formalise these roles and provide the necessary training, we need to develop a scheme to professionalise caregiving.

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15.???As part of long-term planning, we should also consider formal education to provide a solid foundation for professional caregiving and certification. For instance, many community colleges and healthcare agencies in the US offer courses to obtain home care certification[7]. Highly skilled caregivers have more opportunities to serve clients, especially those with specific needs, such as dementia or physical challenges.[8]

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Conclusion

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16.???In conclusion, Mr Speaker sir, with higher life expectancy, how will the “good life” look like? How can we fully embrace the opportunities that comes with living longer?

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17.???I have shared in my speech that one key way is to embrace productive longevity. It is to be empowered to lead our lives the way we want to – to work, contribute and care for others. To do so, we must reframe our concept of ageing: -

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18.???First, it is not about when, but now. I circle back to what I said earlier in my speech – an often quoted statistic – that by 2030, 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above. But we must remember that ageing continues, as we speak. Currently, almost 1 in 5 Singaporeans are aged 65 and above. We see it all around us. I certainly see it in my estate in Yio Chu Kang. Over the last 3 years, I have seen how our residents have aged. It is very visible. More seniors are moving around in the neighbourhood with wheelchairs and walking aids. More requests for aged care services. More wakes to attend.?

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19.???Second, it is about opportunities, not about liabilities. Productive ageing requires a shift in our thinking from a paradigm centred on ageing as being problematic, to one which views seniors as resources – assets that can continue to contribute to society in various ways. It is about opportunities for growth and contribution, rather than casting the aged as a liability.

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20.???Finally, we need to shift from “them” to “us”. Ageing affects not just our seniors. Ultimately, it is about all of us. Growing old is inevitable. We will all grow old one day. A simple shift on using the more inclusive terms such as "we" and "us", in place of "they" and "them", helps all of us to remember that we are all aging. Personally, I sometimes do get comments from my residents that I look young. But I remind myself that the operative word is “look”, and that we will all grow old one day, and be forced to reckon with our own mortality.?We will all need to come to terms and embrace the experience of ageing.?

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21.???Finally, we all have different versions of what is the “good life”. Notwithstanding, most will agree that to leverage productive longevity,?we will need to embrace our silver years – to work, contribute and care, and by acknowledging that ageing:-

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-????????is not about when, but now

-????????is about opportunities, not liabilities

-????????and is not about them but about us.

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Only then, can we turn the good life into a great one.

[1] This includes enhancing CPF LIFE, Workfare, and the Silver Support Scheme (SSS) to provide greater retirement adequacy.

[2] The employment rate for seniors aged 55 to 64 was 70.6%, while for seniors aged 65 to 69, it was 47.5% in 2022. This is on par with OECD countries with developed economies such as Finland, Switzerland and Denmark, with senior employments rates of 72%, 72.7% and 73.3% for seniors aged 55-64 years old in 2022 respectively.

[3]Source: https://rosa.smu.edu.sg/sites/rosa.smu.edu.sg/files/Briefs/March%2022/volunteerism_olderadults_mar22.pdf

[4] Source: https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/support-groups-and-others/11/caregiver-training

[5] Source: https://www.moh.gov.sg/caregiver-support

[6] Source: https://www.aic.sg/caregiving

[7] E.g. the State Tested Nurse Aides certified under the Nurse Aide Registry in Ohio.

[8] Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbevis/2020/08/26/4-fulfilling-career-paths-for-successful-caregivers/?sh=2eb0ebd23134