The World Health Organisation (WHO) has projected Malaysia to be an ageing nation by the year 2030.

In 1970, nearly half of the population (44.5%) were aged 14 years and younger, with only 3.3% above the age of 65 years old. Fast forward to 2017, nearly 50 years later, there are 3 older persons for every 20 Malaysians.

The percentage of the ageing population is projected to increase as the years go by.

According to WHO, people who are 60 years or older are referred to as ‘elder persons’, whereas the United Nations uses the age 64 as a benchmark.

But, why?

Is it necessarily a bad thing? Not really! Multiple factors come into play.

Increasing Life Expectancy

This is a good thing!

In 1950, the life expectancy was 52.8 years old, while the age has been raised to 76.51 years old in 2022.

By 2050, life expectancies in Malaysia are expected to increase to roughly 80 years old.

This is due to proper access of Malaysians to healthcare, increased awareness toward healthy lifestyle living as well as an overall improvement of our quality of life.

Lower Birth Rates

Malaysians are getting married later and later. There is no doubt that this increases the age of having a first child.

Choices associated with economic affluence and increased cost of living amongst Malaysians play a huge role. Moreover, with higher education, more women would choose to have children later on in life.

This is all part and parcel of developed countries, which is seen globally as well.

The Toil / Struggles

In an ideal life, we expect to retire, settle in and enjoy the rest of our years blissfully. However, our older folks have to face more than that. Sadly, most suffer in silence, particularly due to the lack of discussion and awareness in society.

Physically

The older we become, the frailer our bodies become. Arthritis, vision deterioration, digestive problems, and urinary incontinence are some to name a few.

Non-communicative diseases like diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are prevalent among the elderly. With that comes the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, like a heart attack or stroke.

One’s mobility and agility will progressively decline over the years. This can be a hindrance to pursuing our hobbies and carrying out simple daily tasks, like cleaning, showering or even eating. Hence, it is important to be empathetic and patient with our elderly loved ones. Understand that it is normal to take a little more time to get out of the car, or walk to answer the door.

There is also a marked reduction in stability as we progress in life. Older persons are more prone to falls, and often require support like walking aids to move around.

They are also more susceptible to acute infections, because of a weaker immune system. For example, they have more severe symptoms of a common bug compared to a younger person.

Changes in dietary habits and oral-dental health can also cause malnutrition.

Elder persons also have reduced kidney function, a natural progression as we age. They also tend to have more diseases and require more medications. The increased usage of medications (polypharmacy) can increase adverse drug effects, which is why follow-ups and proper monitoring are important.

Cognitive impairment is becoming more prevalent among the elderly.

There were 50 million people with dementia in 2015, and the proportion is expected to increase to a whopping 152 million by the year 2050.

As a result, diseases like Alzheimer’s are generating more discussion globally as well as in this country.

Do you suspect that you or your loved one has dementia? Read more about it here.

Socially

Aside from health ailments, isolation and marginalisation are widely common among the elderly.

They struggle to cope with the loss of social groups and friends. The COVID outbreak has only exacerbated their feelings of loneliness.

Many often struggle with a sense of purpose, especially after retirement.

Needless to say, our mobility and agility will decline as we age.

More programmes need to be tailored to maintain their quality of life and independence. One’s safety, mobility and physical fitness must be taken into account when making such decisions.

Mental Health

The devastating impact of COVID on healthcare, socio-economical and psychological has propelled mental health awareness into the spotlight.

This is a good thing, especially now that mental health is being taken more seriously by the younger generation. However, it is sadly still a taboo topic amongst the elderly.

The prevalence of mental health issues amongst the elderly is high due to multiple factors: frailness, health issues and chronic pain can take a toll on one mentally.

Physical health is very much intertwined with mental health. It is found that those with health issues have a higher risk of developing depression. They also struggle with increased suicide ideation, depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances.

Unfortunately, depression is underdiagnosed in this population. Many suffer in silence. They do not want to be viewed as ‘burdensome’ by their families and loved ones, so they tend to keep their emotions in.

Abuse and Neglect

EAN (Elderly Abuse and Neglect) can be in the form of physical, sexual, financial or psychological neglect. It is also desperately underreported, and cases are expected to be higher than the current statistics.

Why? Simply because the elderly are dependent on caretakers for their daily needs. There is also not enough awareness of this issue or avenues for elder persons to report domestic elderly abuse.

Malaysia has had its fair share of reports of elderly abuse and neglect.

In 2015, a 70-year-old female was allegedly hit on the head by a nursing home owner in Klebang, Melaka. In 2019, there were reports of a caretaker slapping, hitting and forcing the nursing home residents to drink their urine and chilli.

A study published in BMJ Medical Journal carried out amongst 1927 elderly folks (60 years and older) in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Seremban found that the most common form of abuse amongst the elderly in that community was financial abuse. The second was psychological abuse. 1 in 11 elderly persons experienced some form of abuse, be it physical (2.4%) or financial (4.8%).

Do You Know Someone Who Is Abused?

If you do happen to know a neighbour or an elderly who is abused, reach out for help. The Women’s Aid Organisation provides a hotline for domestic abuse here.

There are also One Stop Crisis Centres in government hospitals which provide free medical aid and treatment. They also provide other resources including – aid to lodge a police report, free legal advice, police protection and counselling. All services are free of charge.

Emergency Protection Order from JKM – this is an order issued by the social welfare (JKM) officer instructing the perpetrator to stop committing acts of violence towards you.

Number: Talian Nur (15999). This hotline is available 24/7.

What Can We Do?

The ultimate goal is to maintain our elders’ quality of life for as long as possible.

Multiple factors come into play, including socioeconomic status, retirement, hobbies, family, housing, income and more. However, the goal remains the same across the population.

Caring for our grandparents/ ageing parents.

Generating dialogues

Creating avenues of discussion will help raise awareness amongst Malaysians. This will allow the government to increase funding and create safer infrastructure (car parks for the elderly, build better healthcare systems, support and programmes) for our elderly.

Other beneficial programmes are social clubs, daycare services, rehabilitation centres, home nursing and mobile libraries.

Proper Access to Healthcare

Go for annual checkups. Ensure that our elderly take their medication on time.

Here at Kantha Medical, we believe that medical healthcare should be affordable and accessible to everyone, irrespective of age, socioeconomic status or background.

We provide top-tier services, including Speech Therapy and Home Med services which are available 24/7. We also provide home calls.

Want to book an appointment? Find out more here.

Holistic care

Encourage developing a hobby, proper meal times and fixed sleeping schedules.

Social groups or neighbourhood activities for elder persons such as morning taichi or knitting are also encouraged.

Physical activity (depending on the health of the patient) is strongly encouraged as well, as exercise has been linked to improved cardiovascular health, elevated moods and overall improved well-being.

Creating a Safe Home

Installing safe infrastructures – railings, especially along stairs that will enable our elderly to move around with ease.

These also include wheelchair-friendly home layouts and bathrooms.

Other means of supporting our elderly include proper palliative care, counselling, food delivery services and education about their diseases, and also end of life preparations.

Caring for the Carers

It can take a toll physically, emotionally and mentally on the carers.

As important as it is to care for the elderly, it is equally important to acknowledge their backbones.

If you know someone who is a carer or caretaker, reach out and check in on them.

If you are a carer, you are not alone.

Do not hesitate to reach out for help if you are struggling, be it financially or emotionally.

Are We Ready?

Ageing is inevitable.

There is much that we as a country have achieved. Yet, there is still much more work to be done to provide the best care for our ageing parents and grandparents. Ageing should not be something to be feared.

Let us continue to love and look out for our fellow elderly aunties and uncles.

The Golden Years