The Health | April, 2019
24
senior
Caring for the
ageing population
Are we seriously taking care of our elderly?
The main issue
faced by the
elderly in Malaysia
is a combination
of three things,
finance, care
and health, and
these issues are
interrelated.”
Prof Dr Tengku Aizan Tg Abdul Hamid, a
professor in Gerontology and Social Policy
and the founding Director of the Institute of
Gerontology at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
O
ur nation is ageing rapidly. Thanks to
medical advances, improvements in
hygiene and food supply, Malaysians
are now living longer. But our infra-
structure and services haven’t moved
in tandem to keep up with the needs
of the elderly. Prof Dr Tengku Aizan Tg Abdul Hamid,
a professor in Gerontology and Social Policy and the
founding Director of the Institute of Gerontology at
Universiti Putra Malaysia thinks this has to improve.
The main issue for Malaysian elderly
“The main issue faced by the elderly in Malaysia is a
combination of three things, finance, care and health,
and these issues are interrelated,” Dr Aizan comments.
She then proceeds to explain that many of us are
not well equipped to deal with some of the ailments
faced by the elderly. “I think one of the most terrible
diseases is dementia. In terms of welfare, many of us
are not trained to assist and take care of those who are
suffering from dementia, even the healthcare profes-
sionals. The fact that dementia is a progressive disease
is an even worrying cause.”
Expectations need to be balanced
“Due to changes in our social economic status, the
expectation of having our children taking care of us
has somewhat decreased. The elderly themselves have
realised that their children may not have the finances or
the time to constantly take care of them. This concept
has to be a mutual understanding between both parents
and the children.”
She explains that the children understand that it’s
their filial responsibility to look after their parents,
and the parents also know this. “However in today’s
time, the filial responsibility can take different forms.
Parents are not expecting their children to be physically
present at their side all the time, which means filial
responsibilities instead can be like taking one’s parents
out for meals or for a nice holiday every once in a while.
Both parents and child need to be in constant com-
munication of what expectation lies from each other,”
Dr Aizan tells.
Welfare act for seniors in Malaysia
With Malaysia’s population ageing quickly, the ques-
tion of who cares for our senior citizens is becoming
increasingly important. These days we rely on home
care or assisted living facilities to ensure the best for
our seniors.
But do we actually know what are the acts imple-
mented by the Malaysian government to ensure the
welfare of our seniors?
Act 586
Act 586, or better known as the Private Healthcare
Facilities and Services Act 1998 provides for the regu-
lation and control of private healthcare facilities and
services and other health-related facilities and services.
According to Dr Aizan, many of the facilities catering to
the elderly in Malaysia is not registered under the act,
which is rather worrying.
Malaysia to introduce new welfare act
Fortunately in December, Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced the
government’s commitment to legislating an act to
protect the rights and welfare of the elderly.
“The act is also meant to provide a support system
for senior citizens,” the Women, Family and Commu-
nity Development Minister said in a statement. She
also revealed that the ministry is collaborating with the
United Nations Development Programme to develop
an ‘age-friendly city’.
This is welcome news for seniors and also those who
have been pushing for a specific law for seniors. — The
Health