Elderly Observations

In my neighborhood, there are not much elderly around, but when i visit my grandparents in Yishun, or go our with my friends and family, i have made some observations about the elderly.

Elderly observation 1: When the elderly climb by stairs, they always hold the handlebars at the side of the stairs and slowly make their way up.

Elderly Observation 2: When it comes to crossing roads, the elderly tend to not use the overhead bridges, as it might be a very difficult task for them, and they tend to cross the big road with cars traveling on that road at about 60-80 km/h. These can result in major accidents, and the lives of the elderly could be lost just like that. I feel that the government should install more traffic lights on the road, so that the elderly can cross the road with ease, and not needing to go up a flight of stairs just to cross the road. For them, this could be a very difficult thing to do. However, this solution might cause displeasure to the drivers in Singapore. So, another possible alternative is to educate the elderly that by crossing the wide road just like that, they would risk their lives and they might get knocked down by a car anytime.

Elderly Observation 3: I still sometimes see elderly standing in the MRT trains and on the buses! The government should really encourage the citizens of Singapore to give up their seats for the elderly in Public Transports, so Singapore can be a community the is friendly to people of all ages.

Elderly Observation 4: The elderly like to sit down on benches in shopping malls after they have looked around for products that they want to buy. And yet, in some shopping malls, such as Bishan's Junction 8, there are no benches that are free to the public to be found! If an elderly person wanted to take a seat, they had to head down to the food courts and purchase a cup of drink before they could sit down on a bench in the food court. The management team managing the shopping centre should really consider adding the benches in the mall.

Elderly Observation 5: I have noticed that most of the elderly do not know how to use, much less own even a piece of modern day technology, like handphones, computers, etc. I feel, that we, as young people of the nation, should encourage the elderly to use mobile phones, computers, and especially mobile phones, so that we can keep in touch with them. And they should also learn how to use the computer because like this, we would also be able to email them, so it can be another way of communicating with them.

Elderly Observation 6: Similar to observation 2, I have noticed that the elderly like to cross the road when its clear of cars, even when there is a traffic light installed there. They usually cross the road when it is RED man. This might be dangerous for them as they might get knocked down by a car traveling at a high speed. This could be prevented if the government installed some kind of barrier that rotates. This barrier could be connected to the traffic light pole, and when it is red man, the barrier would be blocking the people, preventing them from crossing the road. And when it is red light, and the cars have to stop, the barrier could then be rotated to block the cars. This not only prevents elderly or youth from jaywalking, it also prevents drivers to go past red traffic lights. ( I have noticed many incidents like that before, and almost got knocked down myself.) This solution could be beneficial to all citizens across all ages.

Well, thats all the observations for now :D