In addition, to make matters more interesting, Singapore will be one of the oldest societies in the world by 2050.
With such developments in place, one cannot help but wonder why no one has given a unifying name to such "grey matters" that have provoked the concern of so many in our society.
I believe it is time to do so because there is actually one, and the term is known as gerontology or the scientific study of ageing.
The origins of the term gerontology can be traced to the combination of the Greek word "geron", for "old person", and "ology", the "study of". The Russian scholar Elie Mechnikov is believed to have coined the term in 1903.
After nearly a century, the term gerontology is now firmly established as an academic and research field in its own right along with the creation of various international and professional associations.
The fact that a Gerontological Society in Singapore has been in existence for 25 years may also come as a surprise to many Singaporeans, both young and old.
But still, there seems to be an unexplained reluctance in Singapore to apply the word whenever discussions on ageing issues arise. Could we be waiting for someone high up in political authority to first publicly use the term in order to legitimise its usage? Or are many of the opinion that gerontology is an unnecessary word when we touch on ageing issues?
I would beg to differ, as I believe that the term has a very crucial place in our attempts at making sense of Singapore's ageing society. There are two obvious reasons.
Firstly, as we have already noted, it is hardly a new word. Would similarly referring to economics as "money issues" be as acceptable? Or how about replacing psychology with "mental issues"? To do so would seem strange to many of us, because once we neglect these terms we also lose something else, as they represent bodies of valuable knowledge that have been derived over the years through continuous research and reflection.
The second reason is perhaps more critical: While some have already begun to champion the growth of a so-called "silver industry" (I actually prefer the more down-to-earth "grey") as a result of a more educated and more well-off baby boomer generation entering their "third age", this had led to a tendency to neglect the fact that ageing is also a very complex and unique process for everyone.
We should not oversimplify crucial facts and deny ourselves a broader understanding of ageing issues in Singapore. No one ages the same way, and along that same track, we can also say that no one ages equally.
Such inequality is also compounded by many factors. They include the growing income gap between Singaporeans; the rising numbers of the aged who are single and at risk of social marginalisation and loneliness; the impact of gender and cultural differences on the quality of life of the aged; the social and psychological challenges of retirement; the disabled elderly; care-giving issues that often spiral into new problems of physical abuse and financial strain; and the growing recognition of how various forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease will become a serious challenge for populations with greater longevity.
We could continue to refer to all these as "ageing issues" but this is where I feel that the word gerontology is more appropriate.
In an environment that is increasingly dominated and colonised by market rationality and a cost-benefit view of how human relations should be conducted, using the term serves as a definitive marker of what our main concern should be - the persons experiencing the process of ageing, which happens to include all of us sooner or later.
It signifies that all other interests - be it profit-making enterprises, economic development or political contingency - should never be in a position to supersede the personal well-being of older persons as a priority when we talk about "ageing issues".
Take, for instance, how the so-called "silver industry" has been increasingly defined as an industry only for those who can pay for it; and how older employees are often unfairly stereotyped as "liabilities" in our workforce.
A growing recognition of the term gerontology and its meaning and relevance to our society will be just one small step, but an important one for Singapore society, as we work towards forging a more socially-conscious and caring society for the aged.
(Dr Kevin S Y Tan is a lecturer at the School of Human Development and Social Sciences at SIM University, where the first Master of Gerontology programme in Singapore has been launched.)
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