PLAYGROUNDS FOR THE ELDERLY

Grandmas having a swinging time in the playground.

Imagine a playground in Kuala Lumpur filled with silver-haired pensioners and retirees exercising on specially designed equipment. You can’t? That’s not surprising. We are so used to associating playgrounds with children that the image doesn’t sit comfortably with us.

The idea is not new. In 2004 Japan introduced nursing care prevention parks, designed to help keep its rapidly ageing population fit and healthy. In early 2006, research studies in Finland found that after three months of using the exercise equipment in the park, a group of 40 elderly people showed marked improvement in balance, speed and co-ordination.

Demonstrating how to stretch your upper body.




Exercise equipment for the elderly.

Encouraged by the research findings, Germany opened the first playground for the over-60s in 2007. Britain followed suit in early 2008. Instead of swings and slides, there is a variety of exercise equipment designed to provide a low impact workout for different parts of the body.

Exercising has never been so much fun!

How long will it take our town planners and housing developers to incorporate playgrounds for the elderly into their master plans? If that's too much to hope for, they could consider cross-generation playgrounds which cater to both adults and children. These playgrounds would have slides and swings that are wider and sturdier, and exercise frames of different heights. Instead of sitting on the park benches watching our grandchildren play, we can join them on the slides or hand-bars. What a fun way to bond with the little ones in the playground, and get a little exercise at the same time.

Letting the child in us come out to play.

The question remains: when will the elderly in Malaysia get to enjoy their own custom-built playground?

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME WHEN I'M 64?

Happy Valentine’s Day to all senior couples celebrating this day. I think the happiest people today are probably those who make a bundle catering to couples who believe that love can be measured by how much they are willing to splurge on each other.

Prices have skyrocketed for roses and chocolate. Restaurants charge grossly inflated prices from RM328++ to as much as RM1000++ for a romantic candlelight dinner for two. I read of a hotel offering its most luxurious suite for RM23,000 for a night’s stay, complete with 100 stalks of roses and a violinist. In financially lean times like these, such indulgence would definitely be viewed as bad taste. In some countries, Anti-Valentine's Day protests are not uncommon.

On a lighter note, last Monday (February 9) was Chap Goh Mei aka the fifteenth and final night of the Lunar New Year. It was also the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day. In Malaysia, this special night is celebrated with a fun-filled tradition. Single Chinese ladies would write their contact number on mandarin oranges before throwing them into the lake or sea in the hope of finding a partner.

Finding true love in a banana - or an orange!

The men would do the same, but with bananas. They would then scramble into the water to pick up the oranges in the hope that one of the oranges would lead them to their dream girl. However, not many girls would want to be seen fishing out bananas from the water. That would mean they were desperate for a man. Ah, the games that people play!

Love oranges for the picking.

Pardon me if I sound a tad cynical. To me, love should be expressed every day, not just on one special day of the year. Love can be demonstrated in so many ways, not necessarily with a price tag attached. And love is for all, not just for the young as often portrayed in the media.

This is what love is all about. It took this woman 20 minutes to move a short distance with the aid of her husband of 41 years. Young lovers take note. (Nava - Starpic)

For all the seniors out there who are single and available, don't lose hope of finding that special someone. Love comes softly when you least expect it. Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear that someone say these words:

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.

~Robert Browning~

Loving each other every day for the rest of our lives.

AGE-PROOF YOUR BRAIN

Of late I’ve noticed that my 82-year old mother has become increasingly forgetful. She can’t remember what day it is and where she put her things. She can’t remember the names of the younger family members, and how they are related to her.

Watching her, I often wonder when I’ll be just like her and forget even simple everyday things. We all dread AD or Alzheimer's Disease. Is it the inevitable follow-up to memory loss? Yet there are people older than my mother who have retained their sharpness of mind like Singapore Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, 85, Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz, 87, and supercentenarian, Teresa Hsu, 110.

Naturally I was very excited when I came across Tony Buzan’s “Age-Proof Your Brain”. According to him, “It’s a misconception that your brain automatically deteriorates with age, and there is science to prove it. What is true is that you need to look after your brain...to keep it performing well for you.”

His book is packed with plenty of intellectually stimulating exercises designed to sharpen our mind and boost our memory. Part One of the book introduces the reader to The 7-Day Get Sharp Plan, while Part Two focuses on The 7-Week Stay Sharp Plan.

If you are not into reading, there are other things you can do for brain fitness.

Add brain-food to your diet. Antioxidents, omega-3 fatty acids, unsaturated fats, fruits, vegatables, and moderate alcohol consumption are all linked to a healthy brain.

Exercise regularly. You don't have to join a gym. Try walking more, using the stairs, doing housework and babysitting toddlers! Better still, take up qigong or tai-chi which combines both physical exercise and mental relaxation /meditation.

Doing qigong in Lake Gardens.

Learn new skills - photography, calligraphy, line-dancing (even lion-dancing!). I find blogging, including doing research for the articles, mentally and intellectually stimulating.

Line-dancing can be both fun and good for health.

Do something different for a change. If you have always avoided taking public transport, try it. Take the bus or train to town. Participate in a competition. Give a speech. Climb a mountain.

Giving a public talk.

Challenge your mental agility by doing crossword puzzles and sudoku. In China, mahjong is very popular with the seniors as it encourages thinking as well as keeps the fingers flexible. Electronic games are fast gaining popularity too. A 30-minute game of tennis on my grandson's Wii can leave me sweating and panting for breath!

Seniors enjoying a game of mahjong.

Sweating it out in a game of Wii.

Sudoku can be mentally challenging.

Exercise the brain by doing crossword puzzles.

Our brain cells are like muscles - use them or lose them!

RETIREES EASY TARGETS FOR SCAMS

It was recently reported in the papers that over 50 people lost more than RM12,000 each when they invested in Mat Kiosk, a ‘one-stop’ machine that accepted payments for utilities, air fares, cinema tickets, mobile phone top-ups and other services.

Investors were promised up to RM4000 monthly in commission from the machine payments. Among the victims were retirees who were hoodwinked into thinking that this would be an easy source of passive income for them.

Last week in Japan, police arrested Kazutsugi Nami, 75, for allegedly swindling 37,000 investors, mostly elderly people, of a total of US$1.4 billion.

This begs the question – why are retirees such easy targets for con men (and women)? What makes the elderly so vulnerable that they would readily fall for sob stories and too-good-to-be-true get-rich scams? Is it because they are too trusting, or is it avarice that has clouded their better judgment? Some of these scams have been around for a while, yet there is no shortage of victims.


When I think of all the products that my 82-year old mother has bought from slick-talking sales people who call on her, I think of money going down the drain. Over the years, she has probably spent thousands of ringgit on anti-ageing creams, wonder tonics, sleep-guaranteed pillows and mattresses, and health bracelets. None of them have produced the promised results.


There are cases of lonely older women falling under the charm of Romeos who sweet-talk them into giving away their savings, and of sugar daddies who squander away fortunes on their honey pies young enough to be their daughters or granddaughters.

Cybercrime is also on the rise in Malaysia – by 619% over the past year alone. Of late I’ve been receiving emails carrying tales of woe from hapless strangers begging for financial assistance, emails that congratulate me on winning a million dollars in a contest that I’ve never heard of, and emails informing me that I’ve inherited a fortune from a distant relative. All these unsolicited emails have one thing in common - to get me to part with my money.

Beware too of phishing. When you receive emails from your bank asking you to divulge your personal identification number (PIN) and passwords in order to ‘update’ your account to serve you better, chances are the emails are fraudulent. Never ever disclose your personal details to anyone who ask for them without first checking their bona fide status.


The current economic downturn affects almost everyone. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Whether driven by greed or need, there are people desperate and creative enough to come up with all kinds of scams to con naive folks into parting with their money. And there are always gullible folks who are eager to plonk their hard-earned money into get-rich schemes in the hope of becoming instant millionaires.

So be on the alert. Be wary of dubious, even ingenious schemes that sound too good to be true. Think twice, a dozen times if need be, before you part with your hard-saved money.

Click here for the top five types of scams and how to dodge them. Thousands in Malaysia have fallen prey to scams like these. Don't be the next victim.

FEELING THE COLD AND THE PINCH IN GERMANY

Braving the cold at a Christmas fair in Cologne.

My first visit to Germany was in December 1998. Last month, I returned for a more leisurely visit. During my one week in Cologne, I had the opportunity to talk to some senior citizens about how they viewed retirement. One can learn a lot from such exchanges with seniors from other countries. Hmm.. maybe it's time we had a World Seniors Summit, just like the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, but minus all the finger-pointing and blaming.

Christmas eve dinner

Over a Christmas eve dinner at his home, I asked Dr Erhard Schelzke, 73, how he views his retirement. A professor at one of the public universities until he retired some years ago, he says, "A lot depends on how well-prepared you are, how much you managed to save during your working years."

Dr Schelzke providing some Christmas cheer on his violin.

Dr Schelzke is enjoying his semi-retirement years as a part-time entrepreneur consultant at the university. When not at work, Dr Schelzke spends his time reading and playing his violin. The latter is a passion that has been with him since he was 10. He hopes to raise enough funds to start a violin school for children.

Unlike Dr Schelzke, Manfred Luer, 70, works six days a week running his family jewelry business together with his partner, Ursula, 66. Both have accepted their impending retirement, but are not looking forward to it. "The business has been such a big part of our lives. With the global economic downturn, it's getting harder for small businesses like ours to survive. But we will carry on as long as we can."

Manfred and Marcus Luer

Then there is 83-year old Marga Linden. She is seldom seen without her trusty bicycle, which takes her wherever she needs to go in the suburbs where she lives. "My knees are starting to act up," she complains. Life has been much quieter since her husband passed away in 1975. Not one to stay home and mope, she meets with her girl friends regularly, and does grocery shopping for those less mobile than she. She takes retirement in her stride, and is determined to remain physically and financially independent.

With long-standing low birth rates and increasing life expectancy, compounded by the high rate of unemployment in recent years, Germany's pension system is under much pressure. Simply put, there just aren't enough young working adults to contribute towards the old age pension system for the burgeoning number of workers who retire.

Some reforms introduced by Chancellor Angela Merkel to give the government more time to work out solutions include raising the retirement age from 65 to 67, and extending the minimum years of work service from 40 to 45 to be eligible for pension benefits. Not everyone is happy with these reforms.

In Malaysia, similar 'reforms' have been implemented. The retirement age for civil servants has gone up from 55 to 57, and the years of service from 25 to 30 to be eligible for pension benefits.

Here in Malaysia, workers earning less than RM3000 must contribute to SOCSO (Social Security Organization). Their employers also contribute to SOCSO. Benefits include coverage for work-related injuries and medical insurance. SOCSO contribution is optional for those earning more than RM3000, but the consent of the employer is required.

Those earning above RM2500 have to pay income tax and contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Their employers also contribute to the fund. There is currently no mandatory contribution to medical insurance. Whether this will change in the near future is anyone's guess.

Compare this with workers in Germany who pay not only income tax, but also contribute to health insurance, long-term care insurance and unemployment insurance. Workers and their employers each pay equal amounts into the old-age pension system. This works out to about 19.9% of an employee's gross earnings.

The level of pension to which people are entitled is based on what they have earned over the whole of their working life and is currently at the level of about 68% of their last drawn salary. So the more a worker contributes during his working years, the more pension benefits he enjoys in his retirement.

Click here to find out the different approaches taken by other countries to deal with the pensions crisis. There might be lessons Malaysia can learn.

USHERING IN A YEAR OF UNCERTAINTY

The Ox has started its year of reign, although many are wishing it was the bull instead reigning in the stock markets. There's the customary lighting up of firecrackers to drive away evil spirits and bad luck. Will it be a year of boom and bloom, or doom and gloom? The jury still seems to be out on this one. Whatever the verdict, it is difficult to get into the celebratory mood this year as thousands of Malaysians have lost their jobs, with the number expected to rise further after the festival.

God of Prosperity giving out red packets (ang pows) of money .

A week before the Chinese New Year (CNY), I had no problem changing old notes for new ones at the bank. And there were stacks of ang-pow packets for the taking. During the same period last year, banks had already run out of new notes and red packets.

I was in Chinatown a few days before the Lunar New Year. The usual pre-festival crowds were missing. Only a few stalls did brisk business selling CNY decorations and foodstuff.

Chinatown minus the Chinese New Year festive cheer.

Many families opted for reunion dinners at home. At the restaurant where we had our family CNY dinner, only half the tables were occupied. Many companies are not giving their staff bonuses. With less money to celebrate, it is not surprising that people are spending less on their CNY shopping. And what about ang-pows (red packets containing money)? Fewer are given out, and fewer received. From what I have heard, the amount too has shrunk drastically.

On the bright side, prices of some products and services have gone down as supply exceeds demand. It’s easier to negotiate with landlords for lower rentals, or with car dealers for hefty discounts. Increasing prices during this period would be suicidal for most businesses. Hypermarkets, food courts and budget airlines are among the few businesses that will see profits.


It is important to maintain optimism. While the economic crisis may not affect us seniors as much as it may affect our adult children and grandchildren, it is prudent for us to tighten our belts a notch or two, and avoid dipping unnecessarily into our retirement savings and pension funds.


For the Chinese during this CNY festive season that lasts till February 9, there should be no letting up in observing traditions, especially those that bring good luck and prosperity. So immerse yourself in the colour red which symbolizes good fortune. Eat food that have auspicious names, toss yee sang (raw fish salad) to increase your chances of making money, and pray that the God of Prosperity will smile on you this year!

Surround yourself with all things red and auspicious.

Tossing yee sang for prosperity in the coming year.

Here’s wishing all my blog visitors a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We certainly need it.

Me and my grandchildren, Reiya, 3, and Max, 8. We wish you "Gong Xi Fa Cai".

BRINGING UP THE KIDS IS PARENTS' ROLE

Below is Bulbir's letter which was published in The Star today. He shares his opinion on nurturing children.

Doting grandpa Bulbir with two of his grandchildren.

I LIKE much of what is said by single mother "No need to please others" (Sunday Star, Jan 25). Well said in how to bring up kids of today, Chan Suet See. I am also like you in handling children and grandchildren. I believe in being a tough master here as you say “be prepared for buckets of regrets” if they do not come out right.

Take this from me - parental involvement is a major key to success of kids at home, in school and in life. And for great bonding, we must be involved with our children and keep them away from any bad influence at an early age. Parents need to take on the responsibility of teaching children good values and ethics that should stand them good all their lives.

Quality family time at home

Some parents today say they have limited time and there is so little they can do for them. Others maintain that economic and social conditions keep them away from the young ones. Some are forced to work long hours. That is a reality.

But can we leave it like this? No. To me, whatever little time we spend with our children counts. I mean quality time. We should show that they are our priority. We can read to them, play with them, or assist them with their homework.Teachers can only find little time to work one -on -one with your children. Bear in mind that God holds parents, not teachers, ultimately responsible for the upbringing of children.


BULBIR SINGH
Seremban