Ivy, To what extent should the Singapore government be responsible for taking care of the elderly?

The government may be expected to be responsible in taking care of the elderly when they are not physically able to stay in the workforce and are unable to financially support themselves. As long as the government is able to afford it and does not strain the economy, the government should be responsible for the elderly.The elderly are generally people who have reached an age whereby their physically health is deteriorating. They are less physically fit as compared to the younger workers in the workforce, hence many often get retrenched or get a pay cut during an economic crisis and to lose or have a drop in their source of income. This problem is serious especially to elderly living on their on as others in their household to turn to, as a result, these elderly are unable to even afford the basic necessities such as rice or a fan. This is when the government's responsibility comes in aiding the elderly who are facing such financial difficulties. This is often done through the use of subsidies in healthcare treatment and in giving them monetary aid once in a while, for example during special events or festive celebrations .
However, should the implementation of subsidies be proven to have a strain on society's economy, the role of the government should be minimised as there are other stakeholders for example the community that should share the responsibility in taking care of the elderly. The community may help financially-disabled elderly through charitable organisations in grassroot organisations whereby a person basic necessities are given monthly which are financially supported by the public through donations. This is when the responsibility of the government is shifted to the community and public.