Ready for the next age
Ms Lynette Yeo, social work-trained psychotherapist and emerging artist, contributed a personal abstract painting titled Transition which was unveiled at the launch of NAI
A new research institute has been set up to tackle social issues arising from an ageing population. A collaboration between the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Washington University in St. Louis, the Next Age Institute (NAI) will also seek to address the challenges and opportunities presented by trends such as the globalisation of markets and rising inequality.
Guest-of-Honour Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower who graced the launch on 23 February at University Town said: "While science and technology has added more years to life, the challenge for us is to innovate new ways to translate these additional years in lifespan to healthy and productive years.
The new Institute will be helmed by Associate Professor Chia Ngee Choon from the NUS Department of Economics and Associate Professor Corinne Ghoh from the NUS Department of Social Work, as well as Professor Michael Sherraden from the Washington University in St. Louis, who is also the S R Nathan Professor at the NUS Department of Social Work.
In her address, Assoc Prof Ghoh highlighted the pivotal role NAI will play. "Singapore is one of the fastest ageing countries in the world and we can expect the number of seniors above 65 years old in Singapore to increase threefold by 2030, she said. "Societies like ours will face social and economic issues of longevity. The establishment of NAI is therefore timely and necessary to look into this complex social phenomenon.
NAI will embrace a transdisciplinary approach involving disciplines such as social work, economics, social sciences, law, nursing, medicine, public health, engineering and architecture. This, coupled with the international expertise of both universities, would help to stimulate cross-fertilisation of ideas and potential solutions, said NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan.
The focus will also be holistic with the aim of creating positive circumstances for people once they reach their twilight years. Prof Sherraden explained: "People don't arrive at old age and create their conditions at that point. They've been creating these conditions all across their lives so if you're talking about old age issues, you're really talking about how people have lived their lives.
The establishment of NAI is timely as Singapore's population will age more rapidly in the next one to two decades, said Dr Khor
The Institute's first project is a collaborative effort with the Centre for Social Development Asia at the NUS Department of Social Work. NAI will work with Singapore General Hospital, Changi General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital to conduct research on the care pathways of older patients discharged from inpatient care, including their needs and support available. The pilot study, which will commence in the second half of the year and involve 30 families, is expected to help answer questions on service efficacy, effectiveness and cost issues.
Other projects include examining alternative options for financing the retirement needs of home-owning elderly in Singapore, and contributing to deliberations on pensions and retirement at the upcoming Singapore Economic Review Conference in August 2015.
