Providing health care for older persons in Singapore.
Health care social policy in Singapore has passed the burden of care to the individual and the family on the rationale that it would enable the state to contain the costs of long-term care by channelling some of its funds to community services and to providing essential health services to all Singaporeans and not just the older group. While a wide array of services has come into existence, there is a lack of integration between the available resources and needs of the individual/family and what has been availed at the community and state levels. Part of the problem lies in the stringent criteria to which the state allows subsidies to be used; the lack of understanding with regard to the profile of users of services; and the case manager approach in offering services. Mapping health care has proven more difficult than anticipated because ageing is a diverse experience, varying by gender, race, income, religion and intergenerational relationships. A social policy does not apply to a 'universal citizen' and services that exist in the public sphere should not exist as merely commodified services which require a great deal of institutional processing.
Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 1 Arts Link, Kent Ridge, Singapore 117570, Singapore. geoteop@nus.edu.sg
Peggy
P
Teo
Angelique
A
Chan
Paulin
P
Straughan
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017047:Cost Sharing; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D012941:Social Responsibility