Urban poverty has occurred since the first city in the world got established. People who struggle to get by every day exist alongside high-rise buildings, well-decorated homes, and first-class vehicles in the metropolitan areas of the world. Individuals from rural places moved to urbanised locations, thinking that they would experience better lives if they worked and started a family there. The lack of affordable food, housing, and education led to poverty in modernised areas. This issue has affected millions of people throughout the globe—including a percentage of the elderly in Singapore.
Here’s how urban poverty affected the lives of older individuals among the vulnerable groups in the community:
Inadequate Resources
Unlike the citizens living above the unofficial Singapore poverty line, struggling seniors rarely have retirement plans. They allocate their money to satisfying the needs of their families every day and seldom have enough to save up.
Insufficient Nutrients In The Body
Despite the authorities’ efforts on ensuring food security in Singapore, some older individuals do not receive the ideal amount of nutrients in their bodies. Meals in urban locations are hard to obtain due to their steep prices, so they eat cheap food items with little to no nutritional value.
Untreated Complications
The elderly living in urban poverty do not have access to primary healthcare facilities and services in the state. They cannot afford to avail themselves of various treatments and preventive care solutions to ensure that their bodies are in the best shape possible.
Prevalence Of Mental Health Issues
Being a member of vulnerable groups in the community has a significant effect on the mental health of older individuals. Since they do not have access to most of the resources they need, they live in agony and stress daily.
Help end urban poverty in Singapore today by joining The Best Of You, a movement that aims to shed light on the stories of people from all walks of life. Visit their website below to learn more about their cause.
