Mrs Priya, an 80-year-old lady is fondly known in her neighbourhood for her sunny and warm predisposition, as well as a passion for baking and making snacks. Murukku, pastries, and a variety of assorted local desserts like kek lapis, kuih talam, onde-onde; you name it. Without fail, she would arrive at her neighbours’ homes on … Read more
A Golden Wave Malaysia is expected to be an ageing nation by 2030. 15.3% of its population is estimated to be 60 years old and older. Moreover, Malaysia is expected to claim its title as a ‘super-aged’ nation by 2056. This age group is expected to surpass 20% of the country’s population. As we gear … Read more
‘Don’t Touch Me, I’ll Hit You!’ “Stop it! Don’t touch me! I’ll hit you!” The sound of glass shattering pierces through the house. Thomas hurries down the stairs to the sound. He hears Wati, his maid, pleading, “Uncle, please calm down—” “I don’t want to calm down, don’t touch me! I need to escape!” He … Read more
Geriatrics – it’s a speciality. Not many common folks would come across until they have a loved one who requires geriatric care. If it’s your first time coming across the term, geriatrics is a branch of medicine focused on older adults. Thus, practitioners of geriatrics known as “geriatricians”, are regular doctors with additional training to … Read more
Malaysia is expected to join the ranks of ageing nations by 2035. In 2020, the World Bank study predicted that Malaysia would be a ‘super-aged’ nation, with at least 20% of the Malaysian population to be in this age group by 2056. Ageing comes with its own sets of challenges and is often something that … Read more
One in three adults over the age of 65 is affected by body pain; often due to joint and back problems. According to the Statistics Department of Malaysia, the ageing population is growing quickly. The rising incidence of body aches and pain among the elderly population not only has a significant impact on our healthcare … Read more
‘Medications? I have a lot, doctor.’ Puan Siti brings out a large transparent plastic bag, bigger than my face. It is filled with different packets of medications. White pills, yellow pills, blue pills- of all different shapes and sizes. One would think she was selling candy. She points to me ‘This big yellow pill – … Read more
Stand Up and Walk I recently visited a 92-year-old lady. She copes with a moderate form of dementia and lives with a maid who is also her caretaker. 6 months ago, she slipped and fell, injuring her knee. Despite it being a minor fall with no broken bones or residual knee pain, she has been … Read more
Counting Sheep ‘Aiya! I tried counting to 100, changing my pillow, and changing my sleeping positions, but I still could not fall asleep! It has been like this for the past few months. My neck is stiff and I have a headache. I am going crazy!’ Sound familiar? You are not alone. It is more … Read more
All you need to know about swallowing issues as you age, is how to catch signs early, and most importantly, what you can do about it. Difficulty swallowing, otherwise known as dysphagia, is a disorder that affects 10-33% of the elderly population. It stems from the Greek word dys (difficulty) and phagia (to eat). Swallowing … Read more
