Blake M
Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Singapore Med J. 1997 Oct;38(10):412-4.
Longer life expectancy, better health and higher levels of financial independence will characterise the elderly of the future. These will result in a greater variety of living and care arrangements including an increasing proportion of older people who will choose to live on their own. Caring for a frail elderly person in the family requires a change of family roles, a process often accompanied by emotional upheavals. The degree of difficulty experienced will be linked to the level of economic and physical dependence of the elderly person. Demographic changes will add new dimensions to the problems of care. In four generation families, which will be more common, the burden of care will shift to adult grand children. Fewer children and grand-children will be available to share care responsibilities. A range of commercial and welfare services will be required to meet the increasing range of needs. Careful evaluation is needed in monitoring both improvements and the risks to the frail elderly and the family in the changing scenario.
更长的预期寿命、更好的健康状况和更高水平的经济独立将成为未来老年人的特征。这些将导致生活和护理安排更加多样化，包括选择独自生活的老年人比例不断增加。在家庭中照顾体弱的老年人需要家庭角色的转变，这一过程往往伴随着情感上的动荡。所经历的困难程度将与老年人的经济和身体依赖程度相关。人口结构的变化将给护理问题带来新的层面。在四代同堂的家庭中，这种情况将更为常见，护理负担将转移到成年孙辈身上。能够分担护理责任的子女和孙辈会更少。需要一系列商业和福利服务来满足日益多样化的需求。在不断变化的情况下，对体弱老年人及其家庭的改善情况和风险进行监测时，需要进行仔细评估。
