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Dying alone is a widespread reality in all advanced societies. Low birth rates, small family size, demise of the extended family, cohabitation supplanting marriage, high divorce rates, ageing population, medical advances increasing lifespan ... how not to die alone - and lonely?
Singapore is just now facing the same phenomenon because of a rapidly declining fertility rate and the breakdown of the traditional family nucleus. A global trend, true, but one that's also exacerbated by myopic PAP socio-economic policies through the years.
At least in countries with strong social welfare the state takes over and provides the support. For instance, many old single folks in Sweden, even those with family, voluntarily check into nursing homes and hospices when their health fail. The healthier ones live in retirement communes. It's some consolation they get to die in an institution, surrounded by staff and inmates and fellow lone birds, not all alone and undiscovered and rotting in a decrepit old house.
Even in death people deserve some dignity.
Singapore is just now facing the same phenomenon because of a rapidly declining fertility rate and the breakdown of the traditional family nucleus. A global trend, true, but one that's also exacerbated by myopic PAP socio-economic policies through the years.
At least in countries with strong social welfare the state takes over and provides the support. For instance, many old single folks in Sweden, even those with family, voluntarily check into nursing homes and hospices when their health fail. The healthier ones live in retirement communes. It's some consolation they get to die in an institution, surrounded by staff and inmates and fellow lone birds, not all alone and undiscovered and rotting in a decrepit old house.
Even in death people deserve some dignity.
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