This post came out from The Straits Times (8 December
2016)
The first study here that seeks to unlock the secrets behind the
longevity of the oldest Singaporeans has thrown up a surprising observation:
Living alone may not be as big a problem as one might think. Of the
Singaporeans aged 85 and older who were found to be in excellent health, one in
five - or 20 per cent - lived by themselves. Among those in the study who were
considered unhealthy, 8.9 per cent lived alone.
According to 2012 figures, about 7 per cent of
seniors older than 65, or 35,000 seniors, live alone. Said Professor Koh
Woon-Puay from Duke-NUS Medical School, who lauded the resilience and
independence of the seniors: "This is more than what I expected. I
actually thought more would live with spouses, children and grandchildren."
She is leading an ongoing longitudinal study
tracking about 1,000 Singaporeans who are 85 years old and older for over two
decades.
This has implications for ageing policy and
caregiving arrangements, given the rising number of seniors who live alone
here, say researchers. The group will grow to about 92,000 by 2030. The
preliminary finding may also debunk assumptions that living alone necessarily
equates to social isolation and poor quality of life.
Within the healthy group, those who lived alone were
found to be more socially active than those living with family and friends. "This
means that it is viable for people who are healthy and old to live on their
own. It is not that they all must be put into nursing homes," said
Associate Professor Chong Yap Seng, executive director at the Singapore
Institute for Clinical Sciences, and an adviser to the SG90 Longevity study
that was launched last year.
"Since seniors' desire for independence may
have likely led to them having long and healthy lives, others can adopt similar
mindsets to achieve the same goals," said Prof Chong. Dr Ng Wai Chong,
chief of clinical affairs at Tsao Foundation, which specialises in ageing
issues, said the finding was important for social services. "Social
services should not target only elders who live alone. Seniors, whatever living
arrangement they are in, should be assessed for social isolation instead,"
said Dr Chong.
The study was among several global studies presented
at the first conference here that delves into centenarian research and explores
whether centenarians are the realisation of successful ageing. Centenarians, or
people who are 100 years old and older, are the fastest-growing age segment in
the world. There were nearly half a million centenarians in the world last year
and the group is projected to grow eightfold by 2050. In Singapore, their
number went up more than fivefold from 232 in 2000 to 1,200 last year.
At the opening session of the three-day conference
held at the Duke-NUS Medical School yesterday, Senior Minister of State for
Health Amy Khor said people need not worry about ageing. "Longevity is
actually good news. It is a result of advancement in public health, medicine,
science and technology," said Dr Khor. "Ageing will only present
itself as a worry when people lose their social or economic relevance as they
age or if they live longer years in ill health and disability."
Associate Professor Angelique Chan, executive
director of the Centre for Ageing Research and Education, which organised the
conference, said longevity is a product of advances in medicine and technology
but the quality of those extra years is largely a social issue. "Understanding
these social and medical interactions will ensure that we are well placed to
identify strategies for successful aging," said Prof Chan.
The SG90 study aims, in two years, to identify the
markers of healthy ageing, such as genetics, diet or lifestyle factors, in
order to come up with practical solutions to help people live longer and keep
healthy.
Said Prof Chong: "We want to see if we can come
up with a particular diet, exercise, drug or nutritional supplement regime that
will maximise your health span."
Thoughts anyone?
Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big
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