Domestic Servants Assisting the Elderly in Singapore: Current Situation and Future Research Recommendations

In Singapore, as in several other countries in East and Southeast Asia, family members, especially women, have traditionally provided a good deal of the care and assistance for elderly family members at home. Singapore's rapidly aging population, together with high levels of female labor force participation, are creating a situation in which many families face increasing difficulties in balancing work in the formal labor force with household chores and providing care for both young and elderly dependents. Employing foreign domestic servants is one option available for meeting the care and housekeeping needs of the elderly. Using data from the 1995 National Survey of Senior Citizens in Singapore, this paper explores the use of maids by households in Singapore that have one or more elderly members and the use of maids as principal caregivers for the elderly. It concludes with recommendations for future research.

Dataset(s): National Survey of Senior Citizens: Singapore, 1995