Elderly care for ageing population vital

SIBU: Ageing population in society is a sure and inevitable concern. With the medical technological advancement, improved standard of living as well as the decrease in birth rates, the ratio of ageing population naturally increases.

Voicing out this, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker, Alice Lau Kiong Yieng stated that Malaysia is becoming an ageing nation and therefore, elderly care has become increasingly important.

“Malaysians, above aged 60, has increased from 3.5 million in year 2020 to 3.6 million the following year.

“Most of the families in the society today are households with double-income – juggling between work, children and taking care of the elders at home. In circumstances when the elders require assistance and supervision, many people are caught in hopelessness,” she said at a Certificate Presentation Ceremony for Elderly Care Assistant Training Programme held at Methodist Pilley Institute (MPI) here today.

Lau who is also Lanang Member of Parliament was represented by her special assistant Stanley Chiew who delivered her text of speech.

A total of 12 participants attended the five-week training programme organised by MPI which began on Nov 16.

Lau pointed out that the degree of pressure to work in elderly care services is more than one could imagine.

Seniors, according to her, rely on day care assistance such as turning (of body), taking meals, visiting toilets, etc, making elderly care supervision highly demanding at all times, let alone going outdoors nor travelling.

During nights, she pointed out, constant coughing or making noises will not allow elderly care assistants to have a proper night’s rest, accumulating to exhaustion and fatigue over time.

“More than often, we would also encounter situations when one senior is taking of another senior. In these circumstances, engaging elderly care assistance can be the best option. Nonetheless, to identify personnel with such qualified training and experience can be limited and scarce.

“We are fortunate MPI has heeded the call and needs of the ageing population and development to come up this training programme to benefit sons and daughters as well as those who have keen interest in elderly care assistance, creating more ideal options for those facing elderly care issues.

“Learning and being trained in elderly care programme is not only to prepare caring for the seniors in our households, but also for the seniors in the general public, and to preparing caring for ourselves,” she said.

With societal trends of late marriages causing later births, she said this intensifies the ageing issue.

“In 10 to 20 years, Malaysia will officially be an ageing nation, of which we are amongst the population. If we do not have the self-awareness by now, but to wait until we become a senior to start preparing elderly care, by then we become just a number in the ageing population,” she said.

Therefore, Lau strongly recommended and see the importance of the programme to be launched and materialised.

She strongly believed that it could benefit the seniors through the training and teaching by experienced trainers/professionals in elderly care programme so that they can enjoy quality elderly care in the aspects of day-to-day medical assistance and emotional, mental support.

This, she pointed out, promotes quality lifestyle, a comfortable and caring, living environment for the elderly.

“Children can be relieved, knowing parents or seniors under their care are receiving professional, quality elderly care,” she said, adding this would help to reduce their worries and concerns, turning around to better concentrate on their work and living, and improved balance of work and living, while at the same time being assured their seniors are well taken care of.

In addition, she said children who learned from the programme would understand the needs of their seniors, being equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills, to better care for their seniors, as well as family members. 

Lau said the programme will also be beneficial by creating job opportunities for nurturing and producing professional trained personnel, increased their marketability while at the same time, contributing a special group of skilled and trained service personnel – highly sought after – to the general labour force.

“Homemakers, single parents, retirees or those willing to contribute in this area of care and service, can now register, be trained and return to the labour force again. This time with a highly meaningful and purposeful role.

“To assist in promoting this elderly care programme, I am calling out to all those keen individuals under Lanang constituency to come forward to apply for financial aid in order to register for the programme at MPI. Queries on the programme are also welcome at MPI,” Lau added.

Also present were president of Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC), Reverend Dr Lau Hui Ming and MPI’s director of academy affairs, Wong Kin Hung.

Chiew (standing centre) flanked by Lau (on his left), Wong (on his right) with the participants.