CAREGIVERS, KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Last weekend I attended the National Caregivers Seminar organized by the Alzheimer's Disease Foundation of Malaysia (ADFM). It was time well spent as I learned much and met with caregivers from Johor, Malacca, Penang and Ipoh. As any caregiver will tell you, knowing there are others who are facing the same challenges gives you the vital support to get through each day of care-giving.

For the record, here is a list of the doctors who spoke and their presentations:

• Dr Lee Fatt Soon (General Hospital, KL) - "Managing Medical Conditions in Dementia"
• Dr Donald Yeo Hong Huang (General Hospital, Singapore) - "Person-Centred Dementia Care - The Singapore Experience"
• Dr Ho Bee Kiau (Health Clinic, Klang) - "Mentally Stimulating Activities Can Delay Dementia"
• Dr Gemma KC Law Wong (Hongkong University, HK) - "Caring for Someone with Dementia in Home Environment"
• Dr Lu-Ann Chong (UMMC, PJ) - "Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease - Healthy Brain Initiatives"
• Dr Bharathi Vengadasalam (UPM, Serdang) - "Ain't Misbehaving: Understanding and Managing Difficult Behaviours"
• Dr Tan Maw Pin (Universiti Malaya) - "Fall Risk Assessment on people with Dementia and Effective Preventive Measures"
• Dr Esther Ebenezer (Royal College of Medicine, Ipoh) - "Caring for Someone with AD"
• Mr Thillainathan Krishnan (Hospital Selayang, KL) - "Assisted Daily Living for Person with Dementia"

From left: Dr Gemma, Dr Lee and Dr Esther

Day 1 began on Friday evening with an interactive caregivers' dialogue with Dr Gemma and Dr Esther. Caregivers shared their experiences looking after their elderly loved ones, and nurse managers of care centres also shared creative ideas on how to handle difficult situations with AD clients.

Everyone who spoke had the same advice to share with caregivers:

• Look after yourself. A stressed out caregiver is of little help to the person with AD
• Take a break when you feel overwhelmed, and don't feel guilty about it.
• Adopt a positive attitude and learn to accept little acts of 'misbehaviour'. 
• Know you are not alone. Join an AD caregivers support group.

Strong support from caregivers, members of the medical and nursing fraternity as well as the public.

Some of the caregivers brought along their elderly parents. It was touching to see the loving care and patience shown by these caregivers. These acts of filial piety auger well for the future. Our children learn from us. They follow by example. How we treat our parents is an indication of how our children will treat us in our old age. 

Herbert Chong (right) shares the role of caregiver with his brother Chee Wah. Their father, Chong Kim Swee (left), 85, stays two weeks in rotation with each son. Shared responsibility helps to reduce the stress of care-giving.

Tan Suat Eng (right) with her mother Ng Siew Poh, 83. Mdm Ng lives with her youngest son on the first floor of a condo. Suat Eng is on the third floor so she gets to spend time with her mom daily. A very practical arrangement!

Caring for a parent with AD requires the cooperation  and support of the whole family. Care-giving is not only a drain on your financial resources but also on your energy. So when the whole family shares in looking after mom or dad, everyone benefits.

Here is a selection of slides that might be of interest to our viewers.

Scary figures. Knowledge precedes action. Governments need to intervene and be prepared for the dementia tsunami as the population ages. (Above slides from Dr  Lu-Ann Chong's presentation)

People with dementia have the same wish list as any of us. Why should we treat them differently? (Above slide from Dr Donald Yeo's presentation.)

Dr Bharathi's slides below highlight some of symptoms we should look out for, and offer practical advice on how to care for those with dementia.

All of us experience forgetfulness on a daily basis. Is this part of the ageing process? No, it isn't. It is only when forgetfulness affects our activities of daily living (ADL) that we should be concerned.

Occupational therapist Mr Thillainathan Krishnan explains ADL. Are our elderly parents able to perform all these activities independently?

Dr Tan points out that falls increase dependency on the caregiver, especially in using the stairs, toilets and showers.

Here is a list of registered Dementia daycare and residential care centres in Malaysia:

Nurse managers: (left) Jade Wong who manages the ADFM daycare centre in PJ, and (right) Angela Lee who runs the Dementia Homecare Centre in Telok Panglima Garang, Klang. Both have degrees in Nursing.

Dementia Care Centres:

Rumah Alzheimer's

6, Lorong 11/8E, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel: 603-7956 2008 / 7958 3008

KL Daycare Centre

9A, Lorong Bukit Raja,

Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603-2260 3158

Dementia Homecare Centre

PT 715, Jalan Pandan 26,

Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor

Tel: 603-3122 6908 

ACE Daycare Centre

115-1, Jalan Mayang 3

Taman Peringgit Jaya, Malacca

Tel: 606-284 7886

JOBADA Activity Centre

43, Jalan Petri, Kampung Tarom, Johor Bahru

Tel: 607 - 222 4016

Dementia Daycare Centre

15, Jalan Foo Choong Nyit, Ipoh

Tel: 605-241 1691 or 019-571 2738 (April Loh)

ADFM Head Office

6, Lorong 11/8E, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel: 603-7956 2008 / 7958 3008

Fax: 603-7960 8482

Email: adfmsec@streamyx.com
Website: http://www.adfm.org.my/

REALLY, FOR PRIVATE SECTOR RETIREES, WHAT'S THERE TO SMILE ABOUT?

Front page of the New Straits Times (13 Oct 2012)

Here we go again. Sigh. Clarification needed one more time.

In Malaysia, the term 'pensioners' refers to retired civil servants, and 'pension' refers to a sum of money that the government pays each month to those who have retired from government service at the age of 55 (now extended to 60).

Pensioners do not include people who have retired from private companies. So it is misleading to say that "retirees earning more now...thanks to improvements to the pension scheme". In fact, if you were to ask private sector retirees, most of them will tell you they have nothing much to smile about.

(Above: Obama is reaching out to the middle class in his re-election campaign.)

There is no private pension at the moment. What private sector employees get when they retire is a lump sum withdrawal of their EPF (Employees Provident Fund) savings. That's it. Period. This amount (or whatever is left if partial withdrawals have already been made for medical expenses, children's education, etc) has to sustain them for all 10-20 years of retirement. The middle class who are not eligible for welfare, subsidies and handouts, are finding it a challenge to cope with the escalating cost of living.

Enough said. Just read earlier post "Pensioners get the cake, retirees get the crumbs".

If you can't read the small print, click here to read the full article.

Let's crunch some numbers.

Based on the National Population Census 2010, we have a population of 28.3 million. Of this number, 2.25 million are aged 60 and above.

Our civil service is 1.42 million strong. The number of pensioners now stands at 662,000. That means we have a total of 2,082,000 citizens who are grateful to the government for taking good care of them and their families.

The remaining 168,000 are retirees, but not pensioners. Excluding those from the lower income group who are eligible for financial assistance, this leaves only a small number of retirees from the middle income group who are unhappy with the government. They feel they have been neglected. Is this number too insignificant for the government to be concerned about in the bigger scheme of things?

What do all these numbers mean? What do they translate into?

Well, draw your own conclusions.

RAY BETHELL, THE AMAZING KITE-MAN

Ray Bethell conducting a symphony in the sky with his kites, deftly pulling the strings like a master puppeteer.

I had meant to share this on Facebook, but Ray Bethell deserves much more than than just a brief FB mention. Indeed, it would be an injustice to post anything less than a full article about Ray and his incredible kite-flying feats.

This extract from Windscape Kite Fesìtival beautifully explains why Ray's world records in multiple kite-flying remain unbroken. He holds the record for the longest kite-flying - all 12 hours 12 minutes! And also for flying the largest number of kites simultaneously - all 39 of them!

"But what makes watching Ray fly so incredible is the fact that you can see himself in his kites. They are no longer pieces of nylon and graphite, but have come alive. He moves like his kites graceful and in harmony, and his strength is reflected in the slow and precise movements of his kites no matter how strong the winds are. He has the technical sophistication of an aerodynamics engineer, he has the poise and precision of a ballet dancer, and he has the endurance of a professional athlete as proven again and again by his world records."

Watch "Romancing the Wind". You can almost feel at one with the kites as they soar, spin and dive in the sky. The sense of freedom, the joy. Absolutely uplifting!

By the way, Ray is 85 years old, and fit as a fiddle.

GETTING AROUND WITHOUT A CAR

The last time I sat behind the steering wheel of a car was back in 1998. After selling off my Chrysler Alpine, I have been depending mostly on public transport to get around. Every now and then, I am tempted to get a car, but the thought of horrendous traffic congestion, parking problems, road bullies and most of all, the high cost of maintaining a car, is enough to deter me from seeking out a used car dealer.

My friends (all of them drive) tell me they would be totally lost without their car. They wouldn't have a clue how to get from Puchong to Sunway, or from Kampung Attap to Ampang New Village.

If caught in a jam, I would rather be in an air-conditioned bus reading my book, taking a cat-nap or checking out what car drivers are doing in their vehicles from my higher vantage point. You would be surprised if I told you!

After 14 years of commuting by bus, train and taxi, I consider myself a seasoned commuter. I have plenty of grouses, of course, but to be fair, there has been substantial improvement, especially over the last year.

Buses are air-conditioned, reasonably clean, comfortable and generally reliable. Senior citizens aged 60 and above travel half fare with the special warga emas card. You can apply for one at the Pasar Seni LRT station. It's free and you get it on the spot. Remember to bring along a photostat copy of your MyKad.

Trains run on time, and with the MRT adding to the existing Kelana Jaya line, Ampang line and the monorail, inner-city connectivity is set to improve tremendously, allowing for seamless travel within the Klang Valley. (I hardly travel on KTM, so I can't comment on that.)

There are now more buses on the roads, so waiting time is much shorter. The best news is the introduction of Go-KL buses. These are free shuttle buses that serve the city centre from KLCC to Pasar Seni and Bukit Bintang. Having taken a ride on one of these buses, I highly recommend them. The bus drivers are courteous and speak both Malay and English fluently.

Exposed to the elements, it's a matter of time before this
electronic board malfunctions.

In an earlier post written a few months ago ("Driven up the wall by our public buses"), my complaints about the lack of information on bus routes and the appalling condition of bus stops still remain, although there have been some small improvements like the installation of electronic boards displaying bus schedules at selected bus stops.

My biggest gripe is reserved for our taxi service. The word itself is a misnomer. The drivers don't seem to know the meaning of 'service'. They exploit tourists, they choose their passengers, they don't use the meter and those that do don't issue receipts. The taxis are smelly, the seats dirty and some of the drivers could do with a course on grooming and manners. No wonder in a recent surbey, KL has won the dubious honour of having the worst taxi drivers.

Of course there are taxi drivers who are proud of their profession, and take equal pride in keeping their taxis in showroom condition. Personally, I have yet to hail a taxi that refuses to take me to my destination. I don't understand this practice of asking the driver first whether he would go to a certain destination. I just get in, and then tell the driver where I want to go.

Don't believe everything you read!

The worst taxi drivers I have encountered are those stationed at Kelana Jaya LRT station. Most of them look more like thugs. They don't use the meter, period. It's RM15 flat rate to Sunway Pyramid. Take it or leave it. Having been fleeced twice, I now take the bus. The fare is only 90 sen for senior citizens.

By the time all my baby boomer friends reached an age when they could no longer drive, moving around in the city would have become a breeze. They would have bypassed all the early inconveniences of commuting by public transport. With the 13th General Elections coming up, there has been a frenzy of improvements taking place in our public transport system. This can only benefit commuters.

If you have concerns to air regarding our public transport, you will have the opportunity to do so at the upcoming full-day National Forum on Public Transportation in Malaysia to be held on 3 November at the PJ Library, Section 3. Admission is free. To register, call Simon at 019-261 2259 or email simogi@gmail.com

Related post:

Can you do without a car?

Are ageing drivers a hazard on the road?

LONELINESS NEED NOT BE PART OF AGEING

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, as of April 2012, 53% of American adults age 65 and older use the internet or email.

I don't have the figures for Malaysia, but based on a simple survey of the people I know or have met, I am inclined to think only a very small percentage of seniors here are internet users, and of those that are, the majority probably don't go online on a regular basis. Many have no interest at all in wanting to learn how to use the internet. Their reason (excuse)? "I'm too old to learn."

Which is sad, because there will come a time when their only connection to the outside world, to their family and friends may well be via the internet. 

Staying in touch is good for our health - AARP

Why do I say that? Well, this illustration above from AARP clearly explains why. Like it or not, as the years pass, we will find it increasingly more difficult to get out of the house for a trip to the shops or have coffee with friends. Already we are seeing this happening with our elderly parents.

We are social beings. We need to be in touch with people. Having a network of friends to spend time with and meeting people keeps us going. But when you spend much of the day alone, loneliness soon creeps in. From there, it is only a matter of time before you sink into depression.

You can be living with your family. But with everyone so busy with their own interests, there is hardly anyone at home who has the time, the patience or the interest to sit down and have a chat with you. For the widowed, the loneliness leaves an emptiness that is hard to fill. You need someone of your age group that you can confide in.

So while you are still physically able, get out more. Go on a trip with your friends, catch a movie, attend a concert, volunteer for a community project, sign up for classes. Life is for living, whatever your age.

Be IT-literate. Learn to use the internet for social networking and emailing because one day that might be your lifeline to staying connected with your friends. 

And while you are learning to use the internet, you might as well learn how to use a smart phone or an iPad. Your children will either get you one for your birthday, or pass you theirs when they upgrade to the latest model. They will want to stay in touch with you, to make sure you are okay at home.

Embrace the digital world. Learn the basics. You really have little choice, unless you want to spend your retirement years in social isolation.

PENSIONERS GET THE CAKE, RETIREES GET THE CRUMBS

'People-friendly'? Not unless it includes all the rakyat, including private sector retirees especially from the middle income group who are struggling with the rising cost of living but are not eligible for welfare or most of the budget goodies. (Photo grab from NST 29 Sept '12)

Let's get this straight. All pensioners are retirees, but not all retirees are pensioners. In Malaysia, it matters which category you fall under after you punch out for the last time at your place of work. If you are a pensioner, your future looks secure. The government will provide for you, AND even after your demise, your spouse is looked after. No wonder our civil service is the biggest in the world in relation to our population. So many perks and handouts!

In Budget 2013 that was announced last Friday, if you are a pensioner you will be out celebrating yet another windfall from the government. If you are not a civil servant retiree, you will be scrapping the bottom of the windfall barrel and searching for whatever miserable crumbs that remain, if any at all.

While I am happy for the pensioners, and I do have many good friends who are pensioners, I sympathize with the retirees especially those from the middle income group. As mentioned in a previous post ("Little for seniors to cheer about in Budget 2012"), they do not qualify for welfare, and neither are they eligible for the one-off perks regularly given out before elections or before Budget Day, or whenever the government feels it's time to make the 1.42 million civil servants happy.

While it is understandable the government must take care of their own, shouldn't it also look after the welfare of other groups as well? What is this 'People First, Performance Now' and all the 1Malaysia sloganizing if not mere lip service? Slogans sound hollow if not backed up by action and results that are visible, not just perceived.

Practically all the senior citizens who were interviewed by the media for their reaction to Budget 2013 are pensioners or are eligible for welfare. Of course, they are overjoyed. And why not? They are grateful to the government for its generosity and heap praise on the PM for thinking of the 'people'.

The small people (the lower income group) are offered one-off perks and budget goodies. The writer should also ask lower middle income retirees from the private sector for their views as well. 

Try interviewing a retiree from the lower or middle income group who is not a civil servant. Ask for his comments on the budget. His answer is probably #%*@!!! - not printable!

Giving one-off handouts is good only for the short term. What happens after the money is gone? I have personally overheard a student asking his friend at a book store what else to buy with their RM200 book voucher from an earlier handout. He had just purchased some stationery and obviously didn't enjoy reading books, much less textbooks for which the voucher was meant. There are also cases of people spending their RM500 voucher on upgrading their electrical gadgets, rather than on necessities. I am sure many of us can quote real life examples of misuse of these vouchers.

Retirees would welcome a discount card like this
one issued by the Queensland government.

So what are we asking for? Many retirees are depending on their savings to tide them over the next 10-20 years of retirement. Unless they have at least RM1 million saved, and unless their health continues to be good, paying for daily expenses, utilities, and servicing loans will eat into their nest egg.

For a start, the government can issue a seniors discount card to all retirees and pensioners aged 65 and above for the purchase of provisions, petrol, and for payment of utilities. I have two warga emas cards at the moment - one for 50% discount on RapidKL buses and trains (which I use almost every day), and the other (which I rarely use) for a 10% discount for medicines, health supplements and healthcare products purchased at Guardian. What we need is a discount card for purchases at supermarkets and petrol stations. RM200 used to be enough to see our family through a whole week. Now we would be lucky if it tides us over three days.

Mind-boggling numbers - all about spending and dishing out goodies to make the people 'happy'. Where is all this money coming from? According to The Star report, "The proposals (to reduce personal tax by 1%) will reduce the number of individual income taxpayers by 170,000 to 1.7 million as compared to the overall workforce of 12 million.

Handing out goodies like this is NOT sustainable. Total Federal Govt debt is expected to rise by 10.1% to RM502.4 billion. Of this figure, domestic debt accounts for 96.5% or RM484.8 billion. Yet the handouts keep on coming. When is this reckless spending going to stop? When the country goes belly up?

Related posts:

IT PAYS TO BE A CIVIL SERVANT IN MALAYSIA

IT'S RAINING GOODIES IN MALAYSIA

TONY PUA TELLS IT AS IT IS

TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS - SO WHAT?

October 1 marks United Nations' International Day of the Older Persons. The day is celebrated with a host of activities and special events for older  people. However, in Malaysia the day passes just like any other day. Not many people, including older folks , even know about it.

Since 2008, I have been posting an article every year to mark this auspicious day. This year, however, I shall just share this slideshow below from HelpAge International. I am also re-posting an extract from the 2008 article which is still relevant today.

HelpAge International has just launched the report "Ageing in the 21st Century: A Celebration and a Challenge". You can click here to download the report.


(Below: Extract edited and re-posted from 2008 Seniorsaloud article)

Did you know that the United Nations designated 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons? I bet the day came and went like any other day for most senior citizens – uneventful and forgettable. The local media did not deem the day important enough to devote some space to it in their columns. Just goes to show how little attention is paid to this fast-growing segment of society.

Today, world-wide, there are around 600 million persons aged 60 years and over; this total will double by 2025 and will reach virtually two billion by 2050 - the vast majority of them in the developing world.
Here's my wish list for older persons:

1. Elderly-friendly traffic lights where the green light for pedestrians stays on a little longer to enable older (and slower) persons to cross busy roads safely.

2. More benches at shopping malls where the elderly can rest their tired feet. KLCC is the least shopper-friendly in this aspect.

3. Bigger print on price tags and food labels - the better to see if the product is safe for consumption!

4. Priority counters / queues for senior citizens at banks, cashiers, taxi stands, ticket counters.

5. Wider aisles in supermarkets.

6. Non-slip floors, non-trip pathways and steps in public buildings.

7. Club house cum community centre with full facilities for senior citizens. By the way, there's one nearing completion in Ampang.

8. Restaurants that offer elderly-friendly menus. Think easily digestible, healthy food that have less salt, less sugar, and less fat.

9. Public toilets and urinals with hand rails. Currently these are meant only for the disabled in wheelchairs.

10. Mobile phones with large letters and numbers for easy dialing, and light enough for the pocket.

But over and above all this...

• Remove age discrimination, especially in employment.
• Enable senior citizens to contribute their experience.
• Help end elder abuse.
• Honour and respect older people so they can age with dignity.

Postscript: Oct 1, 2020

Since this article was written eight years ago, I am delighted to say that this special day for older persons is now celebrated with plenty of events and activities for this demographics, thanks to efforts made not only by SeniorsAloud but also by MyAgeing, Persatuan GeM, U3A, Urbanice Malaysia, Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society and all the NGOs working towards promoting active and healthy living for our senior citizens. It is also a day to remind ourselves that more still needs to be done to help the elderly who are in need of life's basic necessities and support.

Related post:

Today is International Day of Older Persons, but who cares?