Publication Type
News Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
8-2026
Abstract
In a commentary, Cynthia Tan, a retired senior corporate leader, and Tan Yi Wen, a Senior Research Fellow at SMU’s Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA), questioned whether the low demand for community care apartments is because seniors do not want only other seniors for company. They noted that most older people do not spend their days dwelling on ageing until everyone around them reminds them that they are growing old. They added that prolonged exposure to such an environment may carry subtle emotional and psychological consequences. Citing a national survey by ROSA, the writers mentioned that eight in 10 older Singaporeans prefer to age in their existing homes. They said that the preference reflects something deeper: attachment to a familiar way of life. They stressed that when seniors remain in their community, they remain connected to people of different ages and life stages, adding that they are reminded every day that they are part of a living society, rather than a stage of life defined primarily by ageing.
Keywords
Ageing, older adults, housing, Singapore
Discipline
Asian Studies | Family, Life Course, and Society | Gerontology
Publication
Straits Times
First Page
B4
Last Page
B4
ISSN
1692-9344
Publisher
Singapore Press holdings
Citation
Tan, Cynthia and TAN, Yi Wen (CHEN Yiwen).
When your neighbours are a reminder of your ageing. (2026). Straits Times. B4-B4.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/rosa_publications/8
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.