According to the latest data published by World Health Organization (WHO) in the year of 2018, the life expectancy in Malaysia is 75.3 years. It is also known that Malaysia will become an ageing population by 2021. With the rising life expectancy and rapidly ageing rate in Malaysia, here comes the important question, ‘Who is going to take care of our elderly citizens?’
Generally speaking, in Asian cultures, the responsibility of taking care of our elderly parents fall on the shoulders of the children and their extended families. If we fail to do so, we will be regarded as ungrateful or disrespectful with lack of filial piety. This culture is indeed seen among Malaysians, as our elderly parents are being cared for by the children and grandchildren with the help from domestic maids.
Today, the adult children or the ‘Sandwich Generation’, find themselves unable to cope between work and family. What is a ‘Sandwich Generation’? This generation comprises of mostly middle-aged men and women who are caring for a parent aged 65 years or older, and are either raising a child under the age of 18 or supporting a grown child. As children, the well being of our parents is our ultimate wish, and one shall take care of them physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.
However, it is undeniable that taking care of ageing parents can be very time consuming and stressful at times, especially for those who work long hours or have to travel often. In addition, it possesses a certain risk if we leave our elderly parents alone at home, as accidents, such as a fall, or incidents like a stroke or heart attack, could happen without anyone being aware of it. Any minor or major incidents could cause a drastic decrease in the quality of life of an elderly patient.
As mentioned earlier, some families have help from a domestic maid to provide care for their elderly parents. Hiring a domestic maid does not necessary solve the problem as some of the elderly require medical attention, not to mention some may have communication problem with the maid. Hence, some families may consider placing their elderly parents in a licensed home care giver / a day care centre for the elderly.
My Aged Care (previously known as My Manor) centers are licensed homely facilities that provide a spectrum of services, including retirement, assisted living, medical nursing and respite care. Here in My Aged Care, we have adult day care programme that aims at assisting older adults who can no longer manage themselves independently. In addition to the round the clock care, psychological issues such as loneliness and isolation which are commonly seen among the senior citizens can be overcome by engaging our elderly residents in social interactions.
By placing your elderly parents with us, the adult children will have peace of mind and fewer worries as their parents are in good hand. This allows them to have a much-needed break time to rest and relax or attend to their personal needs. This adult day care programme ensure that their elderly parents are well taken care of while they are at work, and they will still be able to resume their responsibility as adult children after work.
