In Taiwan’s aging society, more and more people are living a solitary life, willingly or not. As a recent news report describes the impact of living alone as “tsunami-like,” the issue indeed demands attention.
Living alone is the most common among people over 65, as about 76 percent of them live by themselves. Even those who have children are likely to live alone, since globalization has enabled people to travel easily. It is not strange at all for parents and children to live in different countries.
The United Daily News has conducted research based on 5,000 retirees in Taiwan. The results show different aspects of the Retirement Readiness Index in Taiwanese society. It found that elderly Taiwanese are inquisitive about new things and willing to learn more after they retire.
However, they are less interested in connecting with the outside world and their health consciousness is generally low.
The tsunami-like impact of living alone is barreling toward Taiwan. How is the nation to deal with it?
First, men should rid themselves of male chauvinism. They should pay attention to their families and think about their lives in retirement. If men continue to concentrate only on their careers while neglecting family obligations, their children might walk away from them as they grow old.
Today, a great number of women do not depend on men financially. After their children have grown up, women might leave their families behind and fulfill their own dreams. This is why female retirees tend to fare better in terms of social connections.
I myself have joined a few clubs and meet with the members once in a while. We hope that we will be in each other’s company as we grow older. Similarly, even though my mother is almost 80 years old, she keeps her store running, for she cherishes the opportunity to talk to her customers. This is her way of connecting with society.
Second, the importance of active aging should be emphasized. The public and government can do more on this. Individuals should be more conscious of their health. As people age, they must keep exercising to maintain their strength.
The government, on the other hand, should promote the principle of “prevention is better than treatment” and institute social care policies to optimize the National Health Insurance system to lessen the burden on younger generations.
According to National Taiwan University sociology professor James Hsueh (薛承泰), family is still the best way to confront the impact of living alone in an aging society in Asia. Most people have families, regardless of how small they are. People who do not live with their families should keep in touch with them. With one another’s care, people would not feel lonely.
Hsueh has also called on the government to enhance the social support system to help elderly people in need.
Living alone should not be stigmatized. Living a solitary life does not mean nobody cares for such people. If a person is in good health and financially independent, they can certainly live a quality life.
Finally, it would be beneficial if the government could set up a system to record how much people give back to society. That way, when people age, they can exchange their contribution for others’ services. This could lessen the impact of living alone in an aging society.
Cho Chiung-yu is an associate professor at National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Physical Therapy.
Translated by Liu Yi-hung
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