Home care verses nursing home care for the old.

[tom]

Singapore's population is ageing. In most families, sooner or later, we may have to look after one or two of our aged parents. This is something which we can't prevent. Today we may be educated, had a good job, live comfortably, one fine day, we will also grow old. Who is going to look after us ?

This question will prop up. Are we going to nurse him at home or send him to a nursing home? Of course if he is senile / difficult to handle, there may be little choice. We need expert help. If he is still mobile, feeble , grumpy with manageable medical condition, do we nurse him at home or send him away. Shall we put our mind together and see what is a better choice. 

Will engaging a maid to look after him solve the problem ? Will it give us more problem ? What about cost ? Anybody gone through this experience ? Shall we share ?

[tom]

Facts :-

Singapore faces an increasing number of elderly in the years to come. The fast greying population can be due to ageing of the  baby-booming years  ( 1945-1955) in birth rates and increased life expectancy of Singaporeans. Life expectancy is expected to increase to 78 years for men and 82 years for women by year 2030. This figure may change in due course.

 Projections indicates that more than 25% of the population will be aged 60 years or older by year 2020.
There will be fewer working adults supporting more elderly persons as estimated. The “old age dependency” ratio, which was one elderly dependent person to seven working adults in 1994, will be one elderly person to two working adults in 2030. So in future, more elderly will have to cope on their own and when they are unable to; problems may surfaced.