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Senior Moments — Prioritising Elderly Care With The Quality Of Life They Deserve
April 19th, 2020
Source: NST
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WHEN my father grew seriously ill, it took a huge toll on my family. Some days when I look back and reminisce about the times my sisters and I had to shuttle him to and fro the hospital; the countless ambulance rides we ended up taking every time he had a health setback, a huge part of me wish I could have done better — or more.
We were overwhelmed with everything that came with caring for the sick. Handling medication, changing adult diapers and cleaning dad were the hardest task, as too when we had to shift him from the wheelchair to the bed or to the car for his hospital visits.
What was even harder was the fact that my father lost the quality of life he needed, and having a family who had no idea how to help alleviate his suffering or bring joy in the twilight of his years obviously did not help.
To be honest, all of us went through that phase after my dad passed away. It took quite a while to understand that when the caregiver task was bestowed upon our shoulders, we did the best we could with the limited resources we had.
I have also realised how much we take our elderly for granted; the resentment that festers when they become difficult. And then when they are unable to care for themselves, we become bewildered, panicky and try to scramble with care that we’re not equipped to give.
Isolation, loneliness, and boredom are the most common issues among elderly people.
Isolation, loneliness and boredom are the most common issues among elderly people. It may be compounded by mobility issues. The inability to drive as much as they used to could compound the loneliness they feel on a daily basis.
Worse still, they see their friends passing away. There are fewer opportunities to make friends and get involved in social engagements, adding to the reason why many older parents tend to stay at home. Meanwhile, those who are ill tend to fall depressed.
In the Social Security Research: Impacts of Ageing Population in Malaysia, a research undertaken by University of Malaya and Social Security Research Centre, Malaysia’s low mortality and fertility rate has resulted in the reduction of the proportionate share of population aged below 15 from 45 per cent in 1970 to 28 per cent in 2010. It is projected to fall to 17.4 per cent in 2050.
We must prioritise our elderly and take care of them.
The increase of population aged 60 and above has risen from 5.4 per cent in 1970 to 7.8 per cent in 2010, and is projected to rise as high as 23.1 per cent in 2050. By 2040, the population aged 60 and over will almost equal those who are aged below 15. Meanwhile, the proportion of the older population will exceed the younger population in 2050.
Globally, there is an increase in countries with an ageing population. Virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population. And Malaysia is no different.
In short, we are all growing old.
FILLING THE GAP
The least we can do for older people is to show them the respect and dignity they undeniably deserve.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Yet, discrimination at the personal, institutional and governmental level is a fact of life for older people in this country. Reform needs changes in the law and the establishment of a commission on age equality. But even more importantly, it needs a change in attitude.
Instead of talking about the problems of older people, we really should be talking about their needs. We need to think of the collective of our parents and grandparents as assets, not liabilities. We need to turn from negative to positive in reporting about our ageing society.
There is continuum of images that differentiates old age. We all age in our own ways and each of us has an ageing story to tell. How we age is determined by our own characters, our own circumstances and health, and our own histories.
But also, it is determined by the construction that society places on old age. People, no matter what age they are, feel better about themselves when they believe that they — individually — are part of a society and not put to one side as the other, the elderly, or the old.
The older generation has taken the brunt of the current global pandemic, coupled with ill-equipped caregivers or worse still, nobody attending to them. And there’s a pretty good chance, I believe, that among those languishing there will be you and me.
Unless we face up to the reality of the needs of our ageing population, the longevity we as a society have gained is going to be lived out miserably.
As our graying population confronts basic issues about care, independence and assisted living, various grassroots alternatives are gaining footholds. While there are the availability of nursing homes in the country, not many have by far succeeded in providing the necessary standards of care to keep the elderly engaged and active.
Martin Yap, Founder and CEO of CARE Concierge.
However, CARE Concierge, a Malaysian start-up based in the Klang Valley, is hoping to change the landscape, with a mission to modernise elderly care and showing that nursing homes are not the only option.
Founded in late 2017 by former architect Martin Yap Lu Hoong and his partner, Justin Yap Woon Bin, CARE strives to challenge and elevate the elder care industry, firmly believing in the importance of providing services that cater to both the elderly as well as the families who take care of them. Hopefully, there will be more of such set-ups in the future.
There is no doubt that at some point in time, we too will be confronted with our own ageing problems, but at least there will be options out there that can help ease the responsibilities of families and caregivers, while giving our ageing population a chance to really live out the rest of their lives in peace.
The least we can do for older people is to show them the respect and dignity they undeniably deserve in order to make them feel that they really are an integral part of our society.
CARE Concierge
CARE elderly daycare centres provide a safe space for the elderly while their children are at work.
PROFESSIONAL care for the elderly had been on the forefront of former architect Martin Yap’s mind when he and his family became caregivers to his late grandmother who suffered a stroke.
“It was hard seeing her transition from being independent to having to need help for all her basic needs. At that time, there were few alternatives out there to provide help for caregivers and families,” he recalls, softly.
Yap, who hails from a family of architects, returned home from Australia and had an idea to set up a system to provide services to the elderly.
“I came home because my parents were also growing older,” he confides, adding that he did his own research by visiting various nursing homes and getting feedback from friends and families who were caring for their elders.
“There was certainly a gap that existed in the current care system here in Malaysia, and I wanted to address that,” he admits.
In late 2017, Yap established CARE Concierge to supply nurses, therapists and caregivers (Care Pros) to the home for post-hospitalisation recovery and elderly care; providing an option for seniors to age in the comforts of their homes and promoting the concept of ageing-in-place.
CARE professionals (or Pros) are trained to provide specialised care for the elderly.
“Our team of CARE professionals (or Pros) are trained to provide specialised care for the elderly, especially those with dementia, Alzheimers, recovering from stroke, post-operation and going through conditions that require medical procedures and therapies,” he explains.
CARE Pros also can help handle anything else from medication reminders, companionship, driving around for hospital appointments and more.
The 36-year-old KL-lite goes on to share that CARE concierge also has “daycare” centres for families to drop off their elderly parents or relatives.
“Our elderly daycare centres provide a safe space for the elderly while their children are at work or running errands and chores,” explains Yap.
Having physical activities for the seniors is key, he says, to keeping them stimulated, engaged and happy.
CARE has also come up with a unique mobile app that provides a day-to-day diary of each of their clients in an effort to keep family members updated about the status of their elders.
“It gives family members some peace of mind to be able to track their parents’ or grandparents’ condition when they are not around,” he explains.
CARE has also come up with a unique mobile ap to keep family members updated about the status of their elders.
Other services include live-in care, physiotherapy and The Mansion, a high-end assisted-living facility with community spaces to engage residents, their families as well as the community around them.
“We provide 24-hour care managed by nurses and caregivers in fully furnished resort-style individual suites,” shares Yap.
He concludes: “I have worked with many older people who have just wanted to stay in their own homes. It is about choice; having the services in place to support people to make choices about how they want to live and be supported when necessary later in their life.”
Source Link NST