Asia-Pacific

Singapore takes steps to promote active ageing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-23 11:26

SINGAPORE -- Singapore takes steps to promote active ageing as it finds its elderly falling short in three areas of health, financial security and community engagement in a new Active Ageing Index.

Just 5 percent of those aged 65 to 69 polled scored high for active ageing, local newspaper The Straits Times reported Monday.

Related readings:  Betty White books to reflect on sex, aging, animals  Missing centenarians cause angst in aging Japan  China's aging population to hit 31% in 2050  Can chocolate fight aging and make your skin glow?

That figure declined to 3.4 percent for those aged 70 to 74, before falling to 1 percent for those aged 75 and above.

Overall, however, the majority  about 80 percent  achieved a "medium" level of active ageing.

The index measures three dimensions of active ageing as defined by the World Health Organization: health, community participation and security.

Singaporean elderly fall particularly short on community participation. Just 5.5 percent take part in clubs or group activities, and just 23.8 percent participate in the workforce, whether paid or unpaid work.

Over the past few years, the government has put in place a range of initiatives to help Singapore's elderly.

Some initiatives range from getting companies to rehire the old, to a 20 million Singapore dollars fund (US$14.73 million) to cultivate interest groups.