‘Super-aged’ Singapore’s secret
The clack of mahjong tiles, the soft rattle of exercise bikes and the slow thrum of sewing machines are the soundtrack to Monday afternoons at the Yong-en Active Hub: a senior center with the vibe of a social club, where new skills and friendships are the antidote to old age. At the Bukit Merah estate in central Singapore, Agnes Chen, 74, strolls through the swinging doors, declines entreaties to join a game of Rummikub – a tile-based hybrid of mahjong and rummy – and fixes herself a coffee. “People here are so friendly and happy, you’ll find yourself opening up,” the retiree said. “It’s like a private club for seniors, you can eat, cook, sit around and do what you like, even if there’s no classes.”
Helping its elderly population age well has long been a national priority for Singapore. The city state crossed the threshold of being “super-aged” this year, with more than 21 per cent of its population now aged 65 or above – a demographic shift that poses challenges for its healthcare system, well-being programs and future tax base alike. Agnes Chen, a 74-year-old retiree and carer for her elderly sister-in-law, visits the Yong-en Active Hub at least once a week to socialize and learn new skills. Chen was gently coaxed into line-dancing shortly after her husband died, and her repertoire has been growing ever since. She now plays the ukulele and is preparing to take up dressmaking. “You have to take that step out of your house and meet people and do things that you were never given a chance to do when you were young,” she said. “There’s no age barrier to learning something new.”
Tim Lee, executive director of Yong-en, the charity that operates the hub, said empowering retirees to pursue hobbies or volunteer work was essential for them to age meaningfully. “It’s so easy to fall into doing nothing day in and day out,” he said. “Now a lot of elderly citizens are educated to a certain extent, so they are not as constrained as before and can learn a lot more things.” The risks of failing to keep elderly people engaged are well documented. Kim Seonghoon, deputy director of the Centre for Research on Successful Ageing at Singapore Management University, said social isolation and loneliness among older people were associated with shorter life expectancy and worse physical health. He called for accelerating the shift “from hospital-centric care to community and home-based care” as a result.
“I’m here to take gym classes to keep myself fit.” The retired dentist has also embraced lifelong learning, dabbling in flower arranging and acrylic painting, and joining on farm visits. After more than four decades in the dental clinic, she is relishing the discoveries that lie beyond it. “I don’t know what people mean by ‘ageing is scary’,” she said. “As long as I’m mobile and have strength, I should enjoy what I can do.”
Super Seniority
At the harvest Festival in church, the area behind the pulpit was piled high with canned food for the old age pensioners. We had collected it going from door to door most of it came from old age pensioners.
We were sitting around the kitchen table, reminiscing with my uncle and aunt who had been married for 45 years. “What’s your secret for staying married for such a long time?” I asked. “Simple,” my uncle answered. “One of us talks and the other one doesn’t listen.”
The reporter asked the old man in the hills, “What do you owe your great age to, Mr. Clampett?”
“Wal, I dunno yit. I am dickerin’ with two or three patent medicine concerns right now.”
A cop pulls over an old lady for speeding on a highway. He asks for her driver’s license and registration. When she opens her wallet, he notices a conceal-carry permit.
He asks, “Ma’am, do you have a weapon in your possession at this time?”
She responds that she has a .38 Special in her purse. And a .45 in her glove box. And a 9mm Glock in the center console. And a shotgun in the trunk.
“Holy cow, lady,” says the cop. “What are you so afraid of?”
The old lady looks him in the eye and says, “Not a blessed thing.”
March 27th Birthdays
1970 – Mariah Carey, 1989 – Brenda Song, 1960 – Pauley Perrette, 1975 – Fergie
1987 – Buster Posey, 1971 – Nathan FIllion, 1988 – Ram Charan, 1964- Quentain Tarantino