THE NATIONAL POLICY ON ELDERLY PEOPLE IN SINGAPORE

Expanding longevity among elderly people and fertility decline are con tributing to the ageing of Singapore's population. By 2030, the propor tion of persons aged 60 and above will be 26% of the total population. A national policy on elderly persons was formulated in 1989 which inc orporated four issues: employment of elderly persons in the workforce; attitudes toward elderly people; community care; and residential care . This paper discusses each of these agenda with the view of assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The section on residential care is su pported by empirical data. The paper concludes that elderly people in Singapore suffer from a high degree of enforced dependence which will need to be reviewed. In particular, a consultative approach in keeping with the more liberal attitude of the second generation leadership wi ll help Singapore to achieve higher standards of care for an increasin gly affluent elderly population.