Raymond's letter to The Straits Times: All seniors living alone need support

My letter to The Straits Times on the above subject is published today, Wednesday 19th August 2015.

As our population ages rapidly, more seniors who live alone will certainly require better home support to help them in their twilight years, given that the number of seniors aged 65 and above has tripled since 2000 (“Old and home alone” and “He relies on a friend to get help when troubles strikes”; both published on Aug 17).

While we help the elderly living in one-room rental flats, as well as those on public assistance, we must also not forget those in bigger homes who are also living alone.

While some neighbours are helpful, many who work long hours and have family commitments will not be able to respond quickly to lone seniors during a crisis, which can be a life and death situation.

Therefore, we must ensure that we provide support to all seniors living alone, even if they don’t require financial assistance.

Raymond Anthony Fernando
http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-on-the-web/all-seniors-living-alone-need-support