Eldercare in Singapore: More seniors can no longer afford nursing homes

These are numbers that really turn your stomach. The latest statistics on eldercare in Germany are out, and they show a negative record that deeply worries me as someone who has lived here for over five decades. 37 per cent of all people in nursing homes now depend on social assistance. One in three! This isn't just a figure from a ministry report – these are fathers, mothers, neighbours who worked their whole lives, contributed to CPF, and maybe even built a little house. And now, their money just doesn't stretch far enough.

When your savings aren't enough: The high cost of nursing homes

The calculation is actually quite simple, but the outcome is devastating. The cost of a place in a nursing home is skyrocketing. We're talking about monthly sums between $2,500 and $4,000 – depending on the area and level of care required. Your monthly CPF payout, on the other hand? The average is just over $1,500. That's a gap that more and more people simply cannot bridge. People used to say, "You'll be taken care of in your old age." Today, I have to say: For many, old age means financial downfall.

What's particularly insidious is that it doesn't just affect those who had little to begin with. Even if you owned a small flat or had some savings, you can quickly find yourself with nothing. You have to use up your own assets first before the government steps in. I often hear this from friends whose parents are now in homes: "They scrimped and saved every cent their whole lives, and now it's all gone." It's truly bitter.

Health experts sound the alarm: "Eldercare collapse" looming

Leading representatives from health insurance bodies have been warning of an eldercare collapse for months. And they are right. The current rate of reliance on social assistance is the highest we have ever seen. It's the barometer of a society that is failing its elderly. But what's the exact cause? The answer is complex, but the main culprits are easy to identify:

• Rising manpower costs: We urgently need more caregivers. To attract and retain them, salaries must increase. This is right and important, but it automatically leads to higher nursing home fees.
• Inflation and utility costs: The homes themselves are struggling with skyrocketing prices for electricity, heating, and food. These costs are also passed on to the residents.
• Manpower crunch: This is the real core of the problem. There simply aren't enough hands to provide care. Fewer and fewer young people want to take on this incredibly tough job.

And this shortage of caregivers is no longer just affecting nursing homes. Those who are cared for at home – what's known as home care – often face an even bigger problem. Family members are overwhelmed, and finding a home care service with available slots is like striking lottery in many regions. The idea of a caregiver from next door popping by is becoming a thing of the past.

From young to old: The system is cracking

Sometimes I feel like this care crisis cuts across all areas of life. The situation in foster care is also alarming. They are desperately short of families and professionals to care for children who are going through a tough time. The youngest ones, who most need our protection, are falling through the same cracks as the very elderly. Because the underlying conditions are simply disastrous. Who would want to put themselves through that nowadays? The pay is often lousy, recognition is non-existent, and the stress is enormous.

It just cannot be that in one of the richest countries, we fail our elderly and our most vulnerable like this. The government has been talking about care reforms for years, about relief and better pay. Far too little has actually been done. Eldercare in this country doesn't need Sunday speeches; it needs action. Otherwise, the 37 per cent we see today will become the norm in a few years – and a complete collapse will just be a matter of time.