That is the predicament we Asians, typically Singaporeans have right now, especially when the PAP government had increased the pensioning age to 65 from 55 plus the increase in the minimum amount withheld for your monthly annuity or cost of living. One thing for sure, is that my old age is going to hit me sooner or later, with more than the halfway point to retirement age have elapsed.

Unlike the old times, they have a pension when they hit 55. They have gratuity bonus for serving the service too long. In the US, alot of companies have 401K and in the UK, it’s National Insurance Contributions which contributes to the state pension system which is the basic aspect plus the secondary aspect. Which comes to the value of about just under 80quid a week at todays rate which is just above the minimum wage or dole rate.

The requirement in Singapore of either the $100,000 in cash or a property as the consideration for minimum sum is that they don’t have the enough resources for more nursing homes as land is scarce. Also , the amount of manpower to quip the industry is way below the requirement , normally overstretched just as how it was in the UK. I remember that a RGN gets paid more than a doctor in the NHS Hospital working in the nursing home because of the amount of demand for elderly or invalid care. In such a way, alot of them opted to live a healthier and fulfilling life and move to resorts in Malaysia where the cost of their care in a beach resort with rentals etc is not even half of what they paid in the UK.

I don’t want to be in a home. I want to roam about… till the day I die. And just get the JCB and dig a hole and read me the last rites and just chuck me in there. End of story. No fancy mancy of a gravestone or what not. I want to work bit here and there… make my life useful,at least.

What about yours??