Increased longevity disrupts traditional life stages as individuals often live 20 to 30 years beyond typical retirement benchmarks. Addressing this shift requires moving away from the assumption that ageing in place merely means remaining alone in an older family property. Instead, society must provide alternative senior living arrangements that balance private autonomy with shared amenities such as dining and recreation. Employment and public domains must also be restructured to support phased career transitions and regular intergenerational social contact.
Key points
Ageing in place should be redefined to focus on preserving personal autonomy rather than…: Ageing in place should be redefined to focus on preserving personal autonomy rather than simply staying at one address.
Workplaces must implement flexible roles, phased retirement, and consultancy options to h…: Workplaces must implement flexible roles, phased retirement, and consultancy options to help older adults continue contributing.
Community environments must integrate local services with housing and work to encourage d…: Community environments must integrate local services with housing and work to encourage daily mixed-age interactions.
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The New Age
Rethinking the three spaces for a longevity society
Lily Kong
- Professor Lily Kong argues Singapore must rethink home, work and community for longer lives. Ageing in place should mean autonomy, with more housing choices and support services.
- Work should not end all contribution. Older people can keep adding value through phased retirement, mentoring, consultancy and community service, while employers support flexible roles.
- Community spaces should build belonging, not just activities. Mixed-age places, everyday social contact and better links between housing, work and services are vital for a fair longevity society.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – We are living longer, but have we fundamentally rethought how we live?
Much of the discussion about longevity in Singapore focuses on its implications for healthcare, retirement adequacy and aged care. These are important concerns. But there is a more fundamental challenge that deserves greater attention: The way we have organised our lives may no longer be suited to the length of time we can expect to live.
For generations, society has been organised around a relatively predictable life course:…
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