Old folks in S'pore an asset

COMPARED with old folk in other Asian states, the elderly in Singapore are contributing both practically and financially to their families, according to a 2008 global ageing study by Oxford University. Unfortunately, they also get less support of the same kind from their children and grandchildren.

Said British gerontologist Sarah Harper, one of the researchers behind the study: 'We have this idea that older people are a burden on our society but that's because we tend to look at it through our tax system, that they are not in work.'

This is far from the truth, because the study showed that older people still made significant contributions towards their loved ones at home, she said on Thursday, in presenting the study at a conference by the International Consortium for Intergenerational Programmes.

Around 1,000 seniors each from various countries worldwide were asked if they had given financial and practical support to their family members over a six-month period. The study also asked respondents - aged above 55 - if their children or grandchildren had done the same for them.

The results showed that older folks in Singapore were giving more help to their children and grandchildren than the other way around.

Twelve per cent of Singaporean respondents said they offered support such as shopping for groceries, or helping their children clean the house.

Straits Times 30/4/2010