Forum: Human relationships still needed even with formal systems caring for the aged
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The article on elderly people dying alone and remaining undiscovered for days is troubling (Who notices when an elderly neighbour goes silent?, Sept 11). What concerns me most is not that they died alone, but that their absence went unnoticed.
I am a community volunteer caring for vulnerable residents and elderly people. From my experience, living alone does not necessarily mean being lonely or vulnerable. Many seniors who live independently remain active, socially connected and engaged with their communities.
Conversely, someone living with others can experience social isolation, which is when someone gradually loses meaningful contact with family, friends, neighbours and the wider community.
Singapore has invested significantly in active ageing centres, befriending programmes, community outreach and Age Well SG. These initiatives are important, particularly as our population ages. But cases of elderly people remaining undiscovered after death still happen.
I have seen how neighbours can play an important role. On one occasion, a resident approached us because she was worried about an elderly neighbour who lived alone. We helped her make a report through the Help Neighbour feature on the OneService app. Checks by agencies showed that the elderly resident had a daughter who visited on weekends.
The outcome was reassuring, but the episode highlighted an important point: A neighbour does not need to know whether there is a genuine problem before raising a concern.
What matters is having the confidence and a channel to act, so that someone can check.
In our HDB estates, neighbours may live beside one another for years without knowing their names. We have become good at co-existing, but perhaps less intentional about connecting. Someone can become socially invisible long before becoming physically absent.
Government programmes are essential but no formal system can fully replace human relationships. We need both effective social services and a stronger culture of neighbourliness.
Emily Yap Yong An