She returned to the Tsao Foundation at least once a week – not as an employee, but as a volunteer at its Hua Mei Active Ageing Centre, where she helps take attendance during activities and supports outings for seniors.
Retirement, a significant milestone in life, is often portrayed as a well-earned reward after decades of work.
But for many older adults, leaving the workforce also means losing the routines, relationships and sense of identity that had shaped everyday life – a transition that can take a toll on their emotional well-being.
A Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study by the Institute of Mental Health found that the prevalence of depression among seniors in Singapore rose from 3.7 per cent (one in 27) in 2013 to 4.4 per cent (one in 23) in 2023.
Social isolation and shrinking support networks – both risks that can accompany retirement – are known contributors to poorer mental health among older adults.
It may explain why some seniors choose to remain in – or return to – the workforce.
WORK IS MORE THAN A PAY CHEQUE
An AIA Live Better study conducted in 2025 found that one in two Singaporean residents planned to continue working after retirement.
Of that group, fewer than three in 10 were doing it purely for financial reasons. Most wanted to avoid boredom and to try something new, for example.
However, mental health experts said that having a job is only part of the answer. It is also about replacing what work once provided.
Associate Professor Ng Chong Jin, head of geriatric medicine at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, said: “Work gives structure to the day, a sense of purpose, social interactions, intellectual stimulation and an identity.”
He added that returning to work can help only if the work is meaningful and suits the person’s interests, abilities and health.
“The real protective factor is not employment itself but having purpose.”
That purpose can come from volunteering, caring for grandchildren, lifelong learning, community groups or new hobbies.