The issue of senior isolation has probably been around for a long time. However, it is only recently that it has been pushed back into the limelight. Since this initiative started, and yes I am well aware of the recency illusion[1], there seems to have been a lot more coverage on the difficulties experienced by our elderly. In particular, many find it curious that our elderly are the ones having difficulty staying at home and often wilfully defy authorities to loiter outside their homes. Their views and perspectives have since been covered by a variety of media outlets which I hope to collate in this post. These articles are collated only from the time this pandemic started, roughly March 2020 onwards and are segmented into 3 parts:
‘The WHAT’ describes the issues that real people are experiencing right now.
‘The WHY’ hopes to explain some of the challenges experienced by these people.
‘The HOW’ strives to alleviate and solve the challenges pointed out.
Through these articles, my hope is that more will be made aware of the prevalence of this issue. An issue that even if one chooses to ignore for it does not concern us - the ‘Young and Strong’ - will sooner or later come biting back at us. Ignorance may be bliss, but for those of us who are eventually blessed to live past 65, I think we will soon hope that the younger generation do not choose to remain ignorant as well.
The WHAT
COVID-19: Man, 71, arrested after he insisted on eating at void deck, refused to leave
When someone dies alone in Singapore, this is what happens
The WHY
The Big Read: Digitally estranged, seniors struggle with sense of displacement in pandemic-hit offline world https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/big-read-covid-19-pandemic-senior-citizens-12697086
Coronavirus: Elderly hit hard by social isolation amid circuit breaker measures https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/elderly-hit-hard-by-social-isolation-amid-circuit-breaker-measures
The HOW
COVID-19: Supermarkets launch dedicated shopping hours for 'vulnerable segments' of community https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-ntuc-fairprice-stores-priority-hour-shopping-12570956
COVID-19: Ensuring the elderly don't become isolated during the outbreak https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-loneliness-isolation-among-elderly-safe-distancing-12611158
Commentary: Four ways seniors can stay connected during COVID-19 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/covid-19-coronavirus-senior-social-distancing-lonely-tips-health-12535430
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