'ELDERGARTENS' - DAYCARE CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY

Elderly couple caring for each other

If you are in your 60s, chances are your parents would be in their 80s. Consider yourself blessed if both parents are still physically active and able to look after themselves. They have each other for support and companionship.

But there will come a time when one parent passes on, leaving the other to face the twilight years alone and lonely. What happens then? Your father moves in with you. You and your spouse are at work the whole day, and the children at school. Your father is left on his own. Even if you can afford a maid, your father would still feel lonely. It is not the same as having his own friends for company - people his own age who share common interests.

Another scenario. You are single and retired. Your 87-year old mother lives with you. You are her sole caregiver. You need to run errands and go for appointments sometimes. But when you are out, you have no peace of mind. You worry about your mother being left alone at home. What if she falls, suffers a stroke or wanders out on her own? Unless the elderly parent can find something to do at home, being alone may lead to loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts.

The above scenarios are actually real life dilemmas faced by older adults with elderly parents. What solutions are available? Where can the elderly go during the day that is safe? Is there some place where they can spend time enjoying activities with their peers?

The only rest and recreation centre for senior citizens that I know of here in Kuala Lumpur is the AUTORR Centre in Ampang. The place has a lot of potential, but it will be some time yet before it can offer a regular program of activities. There is one in Kluang that has been around since 2004. Membership is free and open to senior citizens aged 56 and above. 

What I have in mind is a daycare centre run along similar lines as the nursery (taska) or kindergarten (tadika) for children. Elderly parents are dropped off at the centre in the mornings and picked up in the evenings. The centre will have trained staff who will not only keep an eye on the elderly, but also organize activities for them. These can include games like mahjong or chess, talks on health, classes on art and craft, and even outings to the city.

From The Star. Original article from Xinhuanet.com

A few days back I was delighted to read about China's 'elder-gartens'. With its burgeoning ageing population projected to reach 437 million, or 30 percent of the country's population by 2050, China must come up with solutions to accommodate the needs of this demographic. Nursing homes and retirement communities are mushrooming in the country. For the elderly who require minimal supervision, and who prefer to age in their own homes, eldergartens seem to be the best option.

The elderly in China enjoying group activities at retirement homes and daycare centres. 

Singapore, the fastest ageing nation in South-east Asia, also faces a similar situation. As far back as the 1980s, the government had begun studying the implications of an ageing population and seeking solutions to face the challenges. One of these was the setting up of senior citizens clubs in all the community centres. Today this initiative has borne fruits. Not only are these clubs a centre of activities for seniors, but also a place for social networking.

The Clementi Community Centre, Singapore

There are also privately-run daycare centres for the elderly. One such example is the Geylang East Home For The Aged. Aside from providing residential and respite care for a fee, the Home also offers daycare services. Operating hours are from Mondays to Fridays, 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. Fees are S$400 a month, inclusive of breakfast, lunch, dinner and an afternoon tea break. There is a full-day programme of activities and also provision for resting.

Awareness of ageing issues is important. Government funds cannot cope with the rising tide of the elderly population. The private sector has to step in as well to cater to the housing, healthcare, and nutritional needs of the elderly.

Ultimately, all of us, from young adults to the elderly, must be responsible for our own health. We will all grow old one day. By adopting an active and healthy lifestyle, we can look forward to enjoying better quality of life in our old age.

Tao Porchon-Lynch, 94, world's oldest yoga instructor and Fauja Singh, 102, world's oldest marathon runner. Still living life to the full at their age. 

If you know of any daycare centres or activity centres for senior citizens in your town or city (in Malaysia), do email us and let us know. We have received many enquiries about such centres. Write to us at seniorsaloud@gmail.com

THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT GROWING OLD IN MALAYSIA

I hope the article will help draw attention to the plight of the urban elderly, especially those in their 70s and 80s who require assistance with activities of daily living (ADL). Not only is there an acute shortage of decent and affordable nursing homes and retirement homes, but also daycare centres where trained caregivers can keep an eye on the old folks while their adult children are at work.

For adult children, it is a huge risk to leave an elderly parent alone at home. What if Dad falls and hurts himself? What if he has a heart attack, or a stroke? What if Mom who has Alzheimer's wanders out and can't remember how to go home?

The sad truth about growing old in Malaysia
By Raphael Wong
Thursday, 10 Oct 2013, 07:15 PM

Where do you go when you grow old? In Malaysia, there are not many choices, especially for those from middle-class families.

The rich and affluent can afford the top of the line nursing or retirement homes, some of which costs upwards of RM8,000 a month. The poor can look to the government for assistance, mostly through the Welfare Department and get a place in an old folk’s home.

But those in the middle class will be left to fend for themselves. They cannot afford the high-end nursing or retirement homes, and neither do they qualify for government assistance – a problem that will persist and have a major social impact as the Malaysian population begins to age rapidly.

According to the Statistics Department, there were 1.4 million Malaysians aged 65 years and above, or about 5% of the total population in 2010. This number is set to soar to an estimated 2.2 million by 2020, accounting for 6.8% of the population.

Given that the middle class make up 40% of the population, there will be a huge portion of the population who will end up growing old either with not enough money to have a decent retirement or not poor enough to be entitled to state care.

How then do these people cope? There is the old Asian tradition of living off your offspring but even that is wearing thin. The other is to find an affordable retirement home, but there is no guarantee that they will offer the right kind of care and services.

Do our nursing homes provide adequate care? Find out on page 10 + 12 of The Heat.

MORE ELDERLY NOW LIVING ON THEIR OWN

From Agingcare.com

Seniorsaloud regularly receives emails from people who write in asking us to recommend good daycare centres or nursing homes. Some of these emails come from senior citizens, but the majority are written by adult children concerned about their elderly parents living alone or left alone at home for much of the day.

The typical Asian family used to consist of several generations living under the same roof. In the 'ancestral home', there was always someone to look after the very young and the very old. Everything was shared - meals, household chores, even problems.

The Straits Times

Today we have the nuclear dual income family with both parents out the whole day working. So who looks after the young children? The maid. In homes where there is no maid, the children are packed off to daycare centres from morning till evening.

What about the elderly grandparents? If they are still fit and independent, they can help out with the children. What if they themselves need assistance with activities of daily living (ADL), and there is no one at home to fill this need?

The answer is daycare centres for the elderly. Unfortunately, a Google search shows a dearth of such centres in the Klang Valley. The few that exist do not have a schedule of daily activities. The elderly who are sent there spend the day sitting around with nothing to occupy them. They wait patiently for their daughter or son to pick them up after office hours.

On average, a daycare centre charges Rm70-100 a day, inclusive of lunch and tea. Given a choice, most elderly folks would rather remain in their own homes, in surroundings they are familiar with.

In countries like Japan, Korea and Singapore, an increasing number of the elderly are living alone. South Korea may have grown richer, but the traditional family with Confucian values is becoming fragmented. There are now 1.2 million elderly South Koreans, living - and dying - alone. This figure is set to rise as the percentage of the elderly is expected to grow from just 3.8 per cent in 1980 to 15.7 per cent in 2020 and to 24.3 per cent in 2030.

In Japan, the 2005 national census showed that one in 10 elderly men and one in four elderly women were living alone. The total in 2005 was 3.86 million, compared with 2.2 million a decade earlier.

From e-Monitoring Services

It's a similar situation in Singapore. The number of elderly citizens now will triple to 900,000 by 2030. The number of those living alone is likely to increase to 83,000 by the same year, up from 35,000 last year.

Adult children worry incessantly about their elderly parents living alone. What happens if they fall, faint or suffer a stroke? No one is there to help them. By the time someone finds out, it might be too late to offer any help.

National University of Singapore has come up with the e-Guardian, a special watch that can sense if the wearer (the elderly person) has fallen. It then starts in motion alerts to the base station and from there to other important contact numbers that are keyed into the e-Guardian SIM card.

Source: Straits Times

There are already several similar devices in the market. The question is - would the elderly be willing to embrace such new technology? If my 86-year old mother's response is anything to go by, the answer is No. She is suspicious of gadgets, says they are too expensive and she doesn't need them.

It would be a challenge to get the elderly to cooperate, even if it is often for their own good.