No secrets to ageing well

In 2015 at the age of 85, Chan Meng Hui became a poster-boy for ‘successful ageing’, completing his 101st marathon with thumbs up and a smile at the finish line. While nothing takes away from his personal accomplishment, such success stories are beyond the reach of many in his cohort of seniors.

The reality most people in their eighties have to contend with is filled with a multitude of physical, mental and financial obstacles, many of which set root much earlier in life. In fact, two nationwide studies, conducted by the Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE) at Duke-NUS, provide a snapshot of what older age looks like in 2009 and 2016-2017. The researchers found that the proportion of older people having difficulty with activities of daily living as well as those affected by chronic diseases has gone up.

So, when the media signals what successful ageing looks like, the majority of seniors would fairly feel that they are not winning any prizes.

Click here to read the full article No secrets to ageing well | MEDICUS 2022 Issue 2 (duke-nus.edu.sg)