Living Smart in the Era of Ageing Society

22 Jan 2020 plus talk


Living Smart in the Era of Ageing Society

The phrase ageing society is currently garnering much attention worldwide. The increase in the proportion of senior citizens within the population will bestow effects on the overall economy, due to a concurrent decline in the size of the workforce.

Available figures point to the Asian continent having to face a more severe ageing society phenomenon than other regions, because Asia has the highest number of senior citizens in the world. Importantly, Thailand is one of the five countries in Asia with the highest proportion of senior citizens. Of the five Asian countries, Japan is the nation with the highest ratio of seniors – 26% of its population in 2015.

This ratio is projected to increase to 30% in 2020. Singapore had a senior citizens ratio of 12%, Thailand's ratio was 10%, China's was 10%, and Vietnam's was 7%. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that Thailand became an ageing society in 2014. 

The proportion of senior citizens is expected to increase to 20% of the population in 2021 and 28% in 2031. In 2035, the ratio of people aged 60 and above is expected to reach 30% of the entire Thai population; it goes without saying that this ratio increases every year. Interestingly, the way of life of Thai people at present has gravitated towards remaining single and not marrying. The ageing society of the future is therefore worth learning about and paying attention to.

The property market itself has made adjustments to the characteristics of residences in order to accommodate the shift in population towards the ageing society. Residences that cater to the demands of the senior citizens market will differ in details and functions from regular projects. 

For example, the bedroom will be placed on the lower floor of the house so the resident would not need to walk up and down stairs. Emergencies-reporting buttons might be installed within the residence. Hand rails, non-slip flooring and lever handles might be installed instead of the regular norms.  

The height of furniture and the width of doorways might be designed to accommodate the use of wheelchairs. There have also been talks of building dedicated communities for senior citizens, wherein there will be knowledgeable specialists available to care for the elderly 24 hours a day; the location of such communities would also be within easy access of medical facilities. 

These are only a fraction of ideas that have been proposed to accommodate the senior citizens market.


Nevertheless, many seniors are not be able to take up residence at communities with a complete range of preferred amenities. Living at regular condominiums is increasing in prevalence and is also a popular choice because of the more downtown locations of condos and the associated ease in commutes. 

 Seeking to accommodate the seniors market, several property developers have implemented technology to respond to the way of life of seniors who live alone. Tools are available to allow distresses experienced by seniors to be communicated to responders. 

 For example, wearable devices in the form of wrist bands can help the wearer avert health risks and better manage their daily lives. The devices also come with accidents reporting function and assistance request function that are directly linked to the hospital and which are also capable of reporting emergencies to the relatives of the device wearer. Such a system provides 24-hour oversight of the wearer.

Another noteworthy tool is the movement sensor used by LED lights to provide on-demand illumination at night for the purpose of accidents prevention. These sensors have been further developed to detect the presence of people within a space through sensing heat emitted from human bodies; an example is the movement sensor installed on helper robots. 

Sensors have also been developed to be installed on bathtubs or ovens, in order for the devices to be – in the interest of preventing hazards – automatically turned off when nobody is inside the room. There are smart monitors that allow seniors to interact with doctors via video call whenever needed, and place orders to supermarkets to have grocery delivered to the condo. 

Implementing technology for senior care not only allows swift reporting of events or emergencies to the caretaker; it also reduces expense for the seniors who may otherwise have to hire 24-hour caretakers. At residential projects that are designed to be integrated with technology, project staff providing constant watch at the monitoring center can sufficiently oversee the well-being of residents.

In addition to appropriately designing the condominium and relevant amenities, the management and administration of the condominium project – having staff who are looking out for the well-being of seniors, or collaboration between the residential project and hospitals in cases of special care – are also important. Special activities that reinforce good relations are also useful. 

As an example, Plus Property's Beautiful Community – Happiness Starts at Home campaign also produced special activities for seniors, such as the water pouring ceremony for the elderly during Songkran festival. In addition to strengthening relations between the occupants of a residential community, such an activity also helps seniors feel appreciated and reinforces their spiritual integrity.

The senior citizens market will become a very big market in just a few years’ time. Although there are presently not too many products and services for this group of customers, any business that takes the initiative will gain an advantage and will become more prepared than its competitors.


Property Insight by PLUS+ special column at thebangkokinsight.com

Plus Property is a professional real estate agency that provides comprehensive assistance in reselling/letting properties and the purchasing of second-hand condominium units. Our experienced team of professional agents also offers consultation on all residential property matters. For additional information on condominium projects, call 02 688 7555, or click here to find units available for sale and rent.  

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