SeniorsAloud

Count yourself one in a million if you have a tenant who leaves your property in better condition than when he first moved in with his family. My daughter had one such heaven-sent tenant a few years ago. The rest were from hell or some place close to it. The latter can literally drive you up the wall - whatever is left of it.

Some tenants who leave with a grudge are capable of wrecking your property out of spite. One of my friends had her kitchen walls smeared with faeces by the tenant who also left her with a stack of unpaid utility bills. (Photo: Daily Telegraph)

Heaven-sent tenants in my book are those that:

pay the rent on time
help to maintain your property in good condition
pay out of their pockets for extra fittings
handle minor repairs on their own
seldom hassle you with endless complaints
do not make unreasonable demands
do not sub-let your apartment
do not use your property for purposes other than as a residence

When it comes to finding good tenants, it boils down to how desperate the owner is to rent out his property. I once had a peek through the open front door of my neighbour's apartment as I passed by. It looked as if it had been bombed or hit by a wrecking ball. The plaster on the walls was peeling, the doors of the kitchen cabinets looked about to fall off their hinges, and the living room sofa should have been thrown out in the garbage dump long ago. And the floor? It was covered with layers of grime and rubbish.

Spotting me at the door, my neighbour invited me in to survey the horror. I guess she wanted to share her shock with someone else, who could also bear witness to the total destruction done. The toilets were filthy and unusable. The mattresses in the bedrooms were grossly stained and the curtains were actually pieces of sarong strung up together. The whole apartment was left in a state resembling this one in the video below.

What kind of tenants would leave their rented premises in such a deplorable condition? For my neighbour, the answer is one word - students. Foreign students. Foreign male students. All 12 of them splitting the rent for a 3-room apartment meant for a small family of five or six. Such massive damage cannot be attributed solely to a lack of responsibilty. Often when tenants leave on a sour note after receiving an eviction notice, they feel they have a right to settle a score. What better way to express this than to leave behind broken furniture and missing fixtures? Also months of unpaid rent and utility bills amounting to thousands of dollars. And don't forget the cost of repairing the damage which could easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. All very painful for the owner indeed.

But I also wonder why my neighbour rented out her apartment to these students in the first place. She was not in dire financial straits. As owners, the onus is on us to choose our tenants carefully, and have them sign a tenancy agreement to safeguard our property. Without such a document, owners are at the mercy of these tenants from hell. Even with the document, there is no guarantee the tenant will honour the terms. Any legal action taken against the tenant can take ages and incur more expenses for the owner. In the end, the tenant gets away scot-free, taking along with him pilfered items from the apartment.

Discarded cupboard left in the common stairway. Unsightly.

What about the common areas like the compound, garbage dumps and stairways? Tenants use these facilities all the time, yet few observe basic rules of cleanliness and good neighbourliness. The prevailing attitude is one of 'it's not my property, so why should I care?' I suspect some owner-residents are just as guilty. Take a look at what my camera captured:

Flat tyres No road tax. No registration plate. Definitely an abandoned car. Just one of a few occupying space in the parking lot.

Fencing being put to 'good' use. Why waste money on a clothes dryer when sunshine is free? That seems to be the rationale behind this tenant's idea of sun-drying his laundry.

A typical example of laziness. Much more convenient to just leave the garbage bags under the bushes than walk all the way to the nearest garbage dump. Maybe a kind resident will take care of it?

When it comes to poor maintenance of common areas, both owner-residents and tenants share equal blame. One of the biggest challenges of property management companies is the collection of maintenance fees and sinking fund. There is often not enough money collected to pay for improved security, better landscaping and more efficient garbage disposal. But there will always be some residents who refuse to pay. They complain that maintenance is not satisfacory, so why should they pay. It's the old which comes first syndrome.

There is nothing much the management can do except to send reminder after reminder to errant residents to settle their outstanding payments. Don't even think about refusing them entry into the compound, or cutting off their water and electricity supply - the management has no power to do so. The only way to recover these debts is to wait till such a time as when the owner wants to sell his property. The sale cannot be finalized until all outstanding debts are paid in full. But what if the owner has no intention of ever selling his property? He can continue to live in his apartment till he kicks the bucket, without ever having to pay any maintenance fee.

This is why there has been a call for a Tenancy Act to protect property owners.

Don't for one moment think that only owners of low-cost and medium-cost apartments are cursed with such abominable tenants. Owners of bungalows and up-market condominium apartments face a different set of problems. Their tenants think that paying thousands of dollars in monthly rental entitles them to make unreasonable demands like asking for high-end bedroom sets, expensive furnishings and fittings, and brand new electrical appliances. You will be surprised how much damage their children and pet dogs can cause to your property. Such tenants can give you severe heartburn and ulcers, and shorten your life span.

Having heard horror stories about tenants from hell, and having personally witnessed the extensive damage my neighbour's tenant left behind in her apartment, I have sworn never to rent out my apartment to anyone. I would rather keep it as a guest house for relatives and friends who are visiting and need a place to stay.

Do read this article on the same topic

What to do when you meet tenants from hell

On Wednesday 4 March, 13 members from our SeniorsAloud community boarded the 6am train for a day-trip to Ipoh. For many of us it was a long overdue visit. While some of us took the opportunity to revisit the town, others were eager to take videos of the trip and apply what they had learned from Alan Chai's video-making workshop held last February. As for me, I wanted to try out the electric train service, and also find out more about Green Acres in Meru, touted as Malaysia's premier retirement village.

For those who were unable to join us, here's a pictorial account of our Ipoh trip.

Time to catch up on sleep - most of us were up at 4.00am to make sure we were at KL Sentral by 5.30am. Getting there at that hour proved to be a challenge. Fortunately everyone made it on time.

We left at 6am sharp and arrived at Ipoh railway station at 8.20am. Right across from the station was the Town Hall. The two buiildings are part of the Heritage Trail which takes visitors around the older part of the town. I love the architecture of these old buildings built during the colonial era of our country's history.

We were prepared to spend the morning exploring old Ipoh on foot, and were pleasantly surprised on arrival to find a coach and three lovely ladies waiting for us. They turned out to be our hosts cum guides Siew Leng, Mandy and Becky.

First stop was breakfast at one of Ipoh's popular coffee shops. Every which way you look, you will see a kopitiam. Ipoh is truly the home of Malaysian coffee.

Coffee and toast done and served the old-fashioned way - what a hearty breakfast to start us off on our discovery tour of Ipoh. Despite the huge crowd, service was fast.

After breakfast, we dropped by at this mom and pop shop across the road. It sold all kinds of preserved delicacies, including a baby shark (see top right corner)! The Chinese will eat almost anything if you tell them it's good for their health.

Outside the Hakka Miners Club with retired Commander Ian Anderson (back row). With 26 years of Ipoh residence under his belt, he is the definitive source of information on the history of the town, and of the Hakka community in particular. We were so lucky to have him as our guide for the hour-long visit which proved to be an eye-opener for many of us.

Ipoh owes much of its early development to these pioneer tin miners from the Hakka comunnity. Photos like these and other items from the colonial era have been lovingly preserved or replicated, thanks to the efforts of dedicated Ipoh residents like Anderson.

Not too sure how present-day Hakkas will view this association with the Jews. But no one can deny their pioneering spirit.

Listening to Anderson brought back memories of our high school days when we learned so much about the tin-mining industry from our Geography and History textbooks. Today Geography is no longer taught in schools, and History isn't what it used to be. Sad.

The Hakka Miners Club was exclusive to men. The only women allowed on the premises were songstresses or hostesses. The wax figures depict a typical scene at the club during its heydays

Anderson explaining the Four Evils of the early Chinese in Malaya - Opium, Gambling, Prostitution and Triads. A negative association that still persists today albeit to a much lesser extent.

What an opium den looked like. As a little girl growing up in the early 1950s, I recall seeing scenes like this one in the back rooms of the coffee shop near my house. It was common too to see prostitutes waiting for patrons in the back alleys of my hometown.

Another discovery for me - many of my favorite foods like lei cha are of Hakka origin.

Group photo taken at the banquet table. Laid out are crockery and utensils used in the old days. On the extreme right are our friendly guides who took such good care of us seniors. Admission to the Hakka Miners Club is free, but visitors are encouraged to donate 'generously' as it costs RM5000 monthly to maintain the club.

Next up on our itinerary was a presentation on Green Acres, Malaysia's premier retirement village due for completion (phase 1) in 2017. We were very impressed with the facilities listed, and eager to know more. I hope to visit the show unit when it is ready in a couple of months, and share my impressions on this blog. So expect more about Green Acres soon.

Lunch time. How could we say no to an invitation to sample Ipoh's famous chicken rice and bean sprouts?

For dessert, we had tau-fu-fa from Funny Mountain Soya Bean stall. Their soy bean curd is billed as 'the best in the world' according to the signboard. My verdict? The smoothest soya bean curd I've ever tasted.

Who could resist fried ice cream? A must-try if you are visiting Ipoh. Comes in the usual flavors.

Spotted these ladies enjoying ice balls at Plan B. During my school days, these ice balls were very popular especially on hot days. Sucking these ice balls was more fun than licking ice lollies. My classmates and I would throw the last bit of our ice balls at each other!

The last part of our itinerary was the Heritage Trail. Thanks to 'Uncle Looi', the coach driver, we were able to do some sightseeing of the old town in the air-con comfort of the coach.

One of the murals that caught my camera's eye. I have been told that this 'old man sipping coffee' is Mr Lim from Ipoh, and the painting is done by Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, who also painted the now famous Penang street murals. Apparently he has been told by Ipoh City Council to alter the image as it resembles former Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng.

I couldn't leave Ipoh without a shot of this building. Old Town White Coffee has elevated Ipoh to its current position as one of the top coffee brands in the country.

This young lady was posing for a photo with the sign "We are young". We decided to join her as 'we are young too!'

Back at the railway station to catch the 4pm train home, but not before collecting our orders of salted chicken and kaya puffs - simply the best we have tasted.

After returning to KL and while googling for more info about Ipoh, I stumbled upon this Malay Mail article about Commander Ian Anderson. It was published a few days prior to our visit. We had a local celebrity as our guide at the Hakka Miners Club!

A big THANK YOU for hosting our group in Ipoh.

Some tips for those planning a day trip to Ipoh by train.

Normal fare is RM35. Senior citizens pay only RM22 (one way). For group travel, the tour leader/organizer must provide a photocopy of each of the participant's IC (MyKad) as proof of age (60 and above) to enjoy discounted fare.

The first train of the day departs at 6am. The ticket counter only opens at 7am. But don't worry, tickets can be purchased on the train itself. An attendant will come around to check tickets as well as sell tickets. Do take note that public transport services (bus and LRT) begin at 6am. So you will have to figure out how to get to KL Sentral at that early hour.

The best coach is Coach C - the buffet coach. You can have early breakfast on the train. Ask for seats facing the direction of your destination. Toilet facilities are available on every coach. The journey takes two and a half hours each way. Although the train makes several stops along the route, each one is only for a minute or two. The ride is very smooth and pleasant. I highly recommend going to Ipoh by train if you don't want the hassle of driving all the way.

Lat, Malaysia's favorite cartoonist, hails from Ipoh. Do get a copy of his books about his growing up years in Ipoh. You will enjoy reminiscing about life in the good old days in small towns across the country.

For Malaysians living in Malaysia, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) comes into effect today - 1 April 2015. This is not an April Fool joke. It's for real. Nothing can be harsher than the reality of struggling with limited financial resources to maintain the same lifestyle. It does not help that we also have a weak ringgit. A double whammy indeed for everyone, especially for retirees and pensioners. They will have to tighten their belts a notch or two.

The time is certainly right for the introduction of a senior privilege card. Senior citizens in countries like Australia and the USA have been using such cards for years. About time seniors in Malaysia had one too, and SeniorsAloud will continue to push for it.

The opportunity finally came in Oct 2014 when SeniorsAloud received an invitation to participate in the Social Impact Innovation Challenge, organized by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM), in the Prime Minister's Department.

Our team members Kamil and Lily attended a one-day workshop as part of the challenge. We were taught how to pitch ideas. We brainstormed a few potential ones and finally decided on a senior discount or privilege card as our entry in the Elderly Care category. We were told that the 12 finalists would receive RM50,000 plus RM25,000 seed money to kick-start their projects.

We worked hard and came up with a slide presentation which we had to submit to AIM through their crowd-sourcing platform Ureka. Before the deadline came up, we were informed that there was no need to submit the slides. A brief write-up about the project would suffice. To cut the story short, our entry was approved. But we never got the chance to move on to the next round where we could pitch our senior privilege card to the selection panel.

Anyway, rather than see our efforts go to waste, we are happy to share the slides here. We welcome feedback, if any.

Setting the context - why the need for a senior privilege card

We figured we would target the middle class as it was affected the most by the rising cost of living. The lower income groups were eligible for welfare packages and subsidies, but the middle class fell outside the ambit of government aid.

Self-explanatory.

Presenting our objectives. Noble indeed, but perhaps too ambitious?

Identifying the groups that would benefit from a senior discount card. We imagined the long queues waiting to apply for our card, much like lining up to get the Rabbit card for seniors to travel on public transport at 50% off the regular fare.

Some of the many benefits cardholders would enjoy.

As an added bonus for cardholders, we would include free transportation to hospitals by volunteer drivers who would regard this as contributing to the community. Seniors helping seniors.

Phase One: How it works. Such services are already in operation overseas.

Two models to choose from should the project receive the green light. You will be surprised to know how difficult it is for an elderly person to visit the hospital on her own for a check-up or for treatment.

Ok, a little self-promotion here is necessary if you want to sell an idea or business proposition. Our Unique Selling Points.

A vision chart of all the big companies that would want to be listed on our privilege card. We can dream big, can't we?

Wouldn't you want to own one, and not leave home without it?

To be sure, we already have tons of discount cards, privilege cards and membership cards. But one specially for seniors? Some companies have been issuing such cards to seniors as part of their customer service. But how useful are the cards?

I have a privilege card from a pharmacy that is valid till 2017. I hardly ever use it. Why?

There are simply too many terms and conditions governing the use of the card.
The discount is small - usually 10%.
The discount is applicable for a very limited range of items.
It is valid only at outlets operated by the issuing company.

In other words, there is no ONE card that offers seniors a decent discount across a broad range of goods and services.

Isn't it time we had ONE?

IS GRANDMA DESTINED FOR EXPORT TO JB?
by Janice Tai, Straits Times, April 9, 2015

LAST month, The Straits Times reported on the growing number of infirm Singaporeans who have been admitted to nursing homes in Johor Baru.

I was one of the reporters involved. Back home, I had a hypothetical discussion with my grandma on considering that as one of her retirement options.

Across the Causeway, you can get a room in a bungalow for half the price here. The elderly person can tend to the spacious garden outside instead of being cooped up in an eight-bedded ward reeking of stale air, or worse, urine.

Grandma, usually cheerful and mild-mannered, snapped in Hokkien: "I'd rather jump from this building than go there."

Despite her visceral objection, the fact of the matter is that more people in Singapore will soon need to have this discussion on nursing home care for elderly family members.

Sending Grandma to JB is, of course, not the default option.

But the economic case is compelling. Cheaper land, construction and labour costs in Malaysia can halve the cost of nursing home care.

Singapore is also short of nursing home beds, with an average waiting time of several months to be placed in a nursing home. That's because many homes here have been full for years and beds are freed up only when occupants die. All 401 beds at Peacehaven nursing home, for instance, have been occupied for at least the last 10 years.

Aged sick: The new export

THE idea of sending the old and sick to low-cost neighbouring countries may attract unease, as in 2009 when then Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan suffered much flak for suggesting it as an option.

But, in fact, the idea has taken off in other developed countries, where there is a shortage of qualified nurses and facilities amid soaring costs and a rapidly greying population.

But is this arrangement what our elderly folk and their caregivers really want?

My colleague and I spoke to three old people in JB nursing homes who thought they were still in Singapore. Dementia patients make up about half the elderly residents in local nursing homes.

But senior social worker Jasmine Wong at Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing says that dementia patients benefit from being in familiar, not strange, surroundings: "Persons with dementia retain old memories while struggling with recent events - so being in a familiar place helps relieve their anxiety and familial visits play an important part in that assurance."

Some research links family involvement and visits to better life satisfaction and early discharge back into the community.

So while nursing homes in JB may make sense as cheaper options, they are at best a niche solution for some. For one thing, their cost is not subsidised. Even a bed in a shared home in JB costs $600 a month - beyond the reach of poorer families.

For the masses in Singapore, there is no running away from the challenge of having affordable, quality nursing homes, especially as the population ages rapidly.

The cost of care

MOST nursing home patients in Singapore pay about $450 to $500 a month for a place, after government subsidies. Nursing home fees in Singapore range from $1,200 to $3,500 a month. This is before government subsidies of between 10 per cent and 75 per cent.

Nursing home operators cite rising labour and land costs as one reason for fee revisions. Econ, for example, raised fees by 10 per cent three years ago. This year, fees went up another 10 per cent, or between $220 and $440 a month. In that same period, wages went up 16 per cent.

What can be done to keep fees low?

SINCE 2012, the Health Ministry (MOH) has operated a new Build-Own-Lease (BOL) model where it builds and owns nursing homes and leases them to operators who have to bid to run them.

This puts downward pressure on fees because affordability is a key evaluation criterion in awarding such leases. Appointed operators are held to their proposed fees for the duration of the bid.

The BOL model also helps to reduce the capital outlay for operators. However, it will apply only to most of the 19 homes coming up over the next five years. There are 66 nursing homes now.

Another way is to incentivise existing operators to keep fees down in exchange for grants. This has worked to slow down fee increases in the childcare sector, where "anchor operators" have to satisfy fee requirements in order to get grants.

New approaches to care

BEYOND cost, there is much that can be done to raise quality. Chief executive of Lien Foundation Lee Poh Wah considers the state of nursing homes here dismal. "I view most of them as cold, clinical factories housing warm bodies which are awakened, cleaned and fed on a regimented schedule. There is an institutionalised absence of life and joy."

Single rooms are the norm rather than the exception in countries such as Australia, Japan and Britain. It is the reverse here, he said, with most people housed in six-bed to eight-bed wards.

To bring back the "home" aspect in the nursing home, the Lien Foundation is setting up a new $15 million building for elderly dementia patients next year.

Besides having single or twin rooms with en-suite toilets, the home will feature a rooftop garden, hair salon and grocery store. Residents can engage in social and recreational activities whenever they wish instead of adhering to fixed schedules.

More operators could develop care models that create homely environments where residents can choose their own schedules, not adhere strictly to regimented ones.

The time is right for a revolution in nursing home care.

One area crying out for a change is facilities for dementia patients. One in 10 of the older adults already has the brain disorder. But many nursing homes here are not purpose-built for them and they can often be seen wandering aimlessly along the corridors.

With a spike in the number of nursing homes, there should also be a way to assess the quality of homes, and publish these ratings, as the United States does.

Already, Singapore is one of the fastest-ageing countries in the world. As of last June, there were more than 430,000 people in Singapore aged 65 and above. That is a whopping 100,000 more elderly folk than just four years earlier.

The numbers are likely to rise to nearly one million by 2030.

It is clearly not feasible to think about exporting Singapore's elderly en masse to low-cost neighbouring towns.

In the end, sending Grandma to JB is not the best solution to the issue of providing aged care.

jantai@sph.com.sg

(The full article is available only to subscribers of Straits Times. Get a copy today or subscribe.)

Some of you might have read the article 'Sex in your 60s' in The Sunday Star (3 May, 2015). A timely reminder that turning 60 does not necessarily mean we are on the decline physically, mentally and sexually. Far from it, according to Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar who penned the article.

A search on this blog will turn up a good number of earlier posts on this topic, some with images for 18+ viewing only :-)

I'm no sexologist or medical doctor, but we all know that any physical exercise done regularly over a period of time will improve one's overall health and well-being. This includes swimming, brisk walking and most definitely sexual intercourse too.

But as with most good advice, it is always easier said than done. There are many challenges that confront older couples in the bedroom besides the age-old complaint of - 'The mind is willing, but the body is not'.

Sure there are sexual aids available, from Viagra to lubricants, not to mention countless books and videos on sexual positions for the over 60s that take into account their physical limitations of arthritic joints, lower back pain, weak muscles, cramps, etcetera. These are just a few of the many physical ailments that plague older adults. This is the time when we wish we had laid the foundation of good health and physical fitness in our younger years.

There is also the question of relationship. Sexual intimacy goes hand in hand with a loving relationship between husband and wife. Unfortunately, many married couples have long lost that 'lovin feeling' for each other. Most continue to live under the same roof for convenience, but in separate beds or different rooms. Where there's no love, there's no will for physical proximity let alone sexual intimacy.

It takes two to tango, and to make whoopee. What if you are widowed, estranged or divorced? Or single? Your well-meaning friends will tell you to look for someone, preferably someone you fancy and who likes you too for the right reasons. Again, it's easier said than done.

You don't want any Tom, Dick and Hairy, or Moll, Peg and Suzie, do you? You are not that desperate, right? Not yet, anyway. You can't trust strangers who want to befriend you on social media or in bars and clubs. You need a mutual friend whom you can trust to make the introduction. Even then, it takes the right chemistry for two people who have just met to want to see each other again.

The field is very limited for older singles, especially for older women. By virtue of their longer life expectancy, single women far outnumber single men of the same age group. So while the good doctor advocates sex 'to improve heart health, reduce pain and depression, as well as increase relaxation and self-esteem', all of which contribute to healthy ageing, only the lucky ones get to enjoy these benefits. For the rest of us, it's gardening, line-dancing or running after the grandchildren to get our heart pumping and muscles working.

In Asian culture, conservative social norms dictate that seniors should behave and act their age. Translated, that means no sex, please, also no kissing, no hugging, at least not in public, and certainly not in front of the children. No lovey dovey, touchy feely display of affection, thank you. It's embarrassing, it's gross, it's offensive! Ah, wait till they get to be our age.

Personally I find it most heart-warming to see older couples holding hands while strolling, or sitting on the park bench with their arms around each other. Such open displays of affection in seniors are rare in Asian societies.

So to all those couples who are still very much in love after all these years, keep the flame of romance burning brightly and cuddle up in bed as often as you can. Appreciate each other for it is a joy to grow old together with the one you love. Not many are that blesssed.

Last weekend 38 members from SeniorsAloud and University of the Third Age (U3A) Malaysia went on a 3-day joint trip to Singapore. Our main purpose was to visit the 50plus Expo 2015, but we also took in some sightseeing on Day 1, and a visit to Econ Medicare Centre and Nursing Home on Day 3. More of that later.

The trip was originally scheduled for 27-29 March. When Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew passed away on 23 March, PM Lee Hsien Loong announced a 7-day national mourning period. As a result, the organizers Council for Third Age (C3A) and PICO had to postpone the expo to 15-17 May.

Our group (not all are in the photo) outside the expo hall on 16 May, 2015

If I remember correctly, the first 50plus Expo was held in 2009 to promote active ageing. Since then it has become a much anticipated annual event for older Singaporeans. I have visited it twice, in 2010 and 2011. It has grown bigger and better over the years. I had expected this year's Jubilee Edition to be even bigger and on a grander scale. But it didn't seem to be so. Perhaps the last minute change of date had affected the participation of some exhibitors and speakers.

The Singapore Cheer team (in red) and the crowd waiting for the arrival of the Guest-of-Honour

Still, our group spent an enjoyable and fun day at the expo. There was much to see, do and learn as well, from health checks to food sampling, from games to entertainment on the stage. A pity, though, that the forum talks were held on a separate floor, and required pre-registration. Otherwise, many more of us would have attended the talks as the topics were of interest and relevance to seniors.

Senior Minister of State from the Ministry of Health and Manpower Dr Amy Khor, and Chairman of C3A Mrs Chua Foo Yong at the launch of 50plus Expo 2015. They sat on benches just like the rest of us. Exemplary!

In line with Singapore's Jubilee celebrations this year, Dr Khor announced that the Ministerial Committee on Ageing is offering 400 free courses for seniors as part of the SG50 Seniors package. You can imagine the boisterous response from the crowd. More reason for the Singapore Cheer!

Here is a small selection of photos taken at the expo. If you missed this year's expo, do make sure you visit it next year. It'll be worth your time. For now, do check out C3A's portal at http://www.c3a.org.sg/. It's packed with plenty of info and goodies for seniors.

My granddaughter would love this - creative arrangement of food to whet the appetite

Always fun to play around with make-up for a new look. For ladies only? Don't men need grooming too?

Cooking demo on how to make yummy crepes

This hobby is fast gaining popularity with seniors

These seniors are having fun learning to strum on the ukulele

Puan Kasummah was interviewed by ST. This image appeared in Straits Times' online write-up about the expo.

Non-slip socks - great gift for grandma and grandpa

Queuing up to get the eyes tested

This might turn out to be the next big indoor board game for seniors

Portrait photography inclusive of styling by professionals, and you are ready for a cover shoot!

Waiting patiently for a talk on herbs and their benefits

The ladies from People's Association getting ready to perform the cha-cha

Tapping into seniors as an excellent resource for community service

Spotted this foldable wheelchair at the expo. This young man and his mom were kind enough to give a demo.

Always great to meet up with Singapore friends like Eleanor Yap (left, back row) of Ageless Online and members of RSVP Singapore.

Meeting up with our counterpart U3A Singapore, led by their president Mr Goh Kim Seng (with orange lanyard)

With members of YAH (Young-At-Heart) College.

On behalf of the group members, SeniorsAloud would like to thank C3A for the warm welcome given to us. A special note of appreciation to C3A's Ms Tan Si Ling and Ms Cheryl Ho for arranging the logistics for our visit, and to Ryan Lau for the guided tour and briefing.

It's time we had an expo for seniors in Kuala Lumpur. There have been several in the past, but nothing on the scale of 50plus Expo. Well, never too late. Will the private sector or the relevant government agencies take up the challenge?

Photo Credit:
Lily Fu
Koeh Siew Lim
Spencer
Eleanor Ong

Our recent trip to Singapore for the 50plus Expo at Suntec left us more than a tad envious of Singaporean seniors. This year marks the silver jubilee of Singapore's independence in 1965. Singapore citizens, including permanent residents can look forward to receiving plenty of goodies from the government.

As a tribute to the pioneer generation for their contribution to nation-building, the government has put together a SG50 Senior Package that will benefit more than 700,000 older Singaporeans. From transport vouchers to discounts for dining, as well as free admission to some of the country's top tourist attractions, there is plenty in the package to put Singapore seniors in a celebratory mood.

The package comes with a 50-page booklet, with a complete list of the benefits. Most of the offers are valid from June to August this year.

And that's not all. In her speech at the launch of 50plus Expo on 16 May, Senior Minister Dr Amy Khor announced that Singapore seniors can sign up for 400 free courses ranging from literature and dance to business and culinary skills. The Ministry of Health aims to encourage lifelong learning with this generous perk.

For seniors that surely must be the icing on the cake to top off the year-long silver jubilee celebrations. No wonder the Singapore cheer turned into a deafening Singapore roar at Dr Khor's announcement.

So, that begs the question, what can our government offer us older Malaysians to make us happy and looking forward to our retirement years? We have given 30-40 of our prime years in the service of the country. Surely that must merit some recognition and appreciation?

We want an outdoor gym for seniors in every housing estate and public park where we can exercise

We don't want awards and titles, for they benefit only a few selected individuals, not the community. (By the way, Singaporeans from the PM to the man-in-the-street are addressed as Mr, and for the ladies, a plain Ms/Mdm.)

We don't want cash handouts which offer only short-term benefits to the needy. We want senior discounts on groceries, health supplements, fuel and meals, and other essentials.

Above all, we want to be accorded respect and dignity, not ignored or seen as unproductive and a burden to society

We certainly don't want empty pre-election promises of what the government can do, will do for us. We also don't want general references to what it plans to do for seniors. We want details, specifics and deadlines. And if the government doesn't deliver, we have the right to protest, to hold it accountable if it reneges on its word, and to withhold our vote if any of our under-performing ministers should stand for re-election. That's not a threat or a warning, but a straightforward case of cause and result.

So, what do we want?

Here's a short checklist to begin with for the relevant ministeries to take note of. In no particular order.

more elder-friendly facilities in public places
a public transport system that takes into account the physical limitations of the elderly
a senior privilege card with genuine discounts that covers items seniors regularly spend on.
senior community centres in every housing area or constituency
more opportunties for re-training and re-employment of seniors
more affordable nursing homes and assisted living facilities
lifelong learning programmes to be extended to more areas
respect and dignity, and no age discrimination, please

An impossible dream, or a soon-to-be reality?

If you click on any of the links above, you will find that SeniorsAloud have been making these proposals as far back as 2009. We will continue to voice our concerns till we are heard.

To give credit where credit is due, we appreciate the government's efforts in making public healthcare accessible and affordable to seniors. We welcome the discounts for seniors travelling on trains and buses. We also acknowledge the financial assistance given for funeral expenses (!) under the Mesra Usia Emas Scheme and other schemes.

With seniors making up 8.8% of the population and growing steadily, Malaysia is on its way to becoming an ageing nation in the next 10-15 years. UN defines a country as ageing when 7% of its population is aged 65 and above.

But these provisions are either limited, too slow in implementation, or if already available are not efficiently maintained or managed.

Each year when the budget is announced, we scan the papers looking for some tiny morsels of good news for seniors, only to be disappointed yet again. Last week, the PM announced details of the 11th Malaysia Plan for 2016-20. To date, we still have no clue what 'supporting active ageing for the elderly' involves, or how 'the government will address the needs of...the elderly'. (The Star 22/5/15)

How long do seniors in Malaysia have to wait before they hear these words from our ministers? Words are cheap, unless they are backed by prompt and effective action.

Our ministers are seniors themselves. Like us, they have elderly parents. One day they too will be elderly. Isn't it time they gave more attention to what the seniors and the elderly want?

(StarMetro 27 May, 2015)

The article 'Old Folk Too Easily Forgotten' in The Star (Metro) is posted below in full for our record, and also for those interested in reading it and sharing it. Lily Fu, founder of SeniorsAloud was interviewed for her views on what the community can do to help ensure the elderly are cared for in their own neighbourhood.

OLD FOLK TOO EASILY FORGOTTEN

by Yip Yoke Teng

For RM1,800 a month, residents of St. Mary’s Nursing Home receive care and take part in games like this race aided by nursing staff. – Star filepics

HELPLESSNESS strikes at some point in life when ageing gradually takes away one’s physical ability. This is felt not just by the seniors, but also their children who find themselves suddenly taking on the role of caretaker.

It is projected that by 2020, 10.6% of the country’s population will be 60 years old and above as compared to 8% in a 2010 census, and 16.3% by 2040.

Malaysia is expected to become an ageing nation (where 15% or more of the population are aged 60 and above) by 2035, according to the Fourth Malaysian Population and Family Survey conducted by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN).

Our society is not prepared in almost all ways to meet the needs of the elderly. The high number of old folk abandonment may shed some light on this issue.

At wit’s ends

LPPKN’s survey also showed that nearly 30% of the seniors in the country were abandoned or received no financial support from their children.

Kim Loo Ting Old Folk’s Home’s caretaker Reverend Kai Guo said he had come across almost 100 such cases.

Residents resting in their room at the Sungai Way Old Folk’s Home. - Star pic

While not all children are heartless, it is no denying that taking care of aged parents is getting increasingly difficult especially for the middle-income group. This group is not rich enough to hire nurses or maids, nor are they poor enough to receive public aid.

Caring Old Folks’ Home founder Wendy Yap said many average-income earners had pleaded with her to take in their aged parents.

“Some actually cried when they send their parents to our home. I cannot call them unfilial, they really cannot afford providing for their parents with the city’s high cost of living.

“Many requests come from the middle-income group and we have to reject them as our home has to give priority to seniors without children,” she added.

As their parents age, it is highly risky to leave them alone at home but most wage earners are unable to quit their jobs to look after the elderly.

Nursing home becomes the more affordable choice, but the elderly will not be happy and worse still, many such establishments are unlicensed.

If the society is more equipped with elderly care services and facilities, chances are many seniors do not need to go there.

Communities can help

Retired teacher Lily Fu, a strong voice for seniors’ well-being through her blog seniorsaloud.com, feels that while the Government needs to steer its attention to such concern, the community can also build asimple support system with existing resources.

The residents’ associations, in her view, can do this perfectly.

Whenever members in the family cannot be around, the second line of support will be neighbours, who can look out for the elderly, and security guards in gated communities who can prevent them from wandering off too far.

The residents’ associations or management companies can keep a database of the doctors, nurses and caregivers in their neighbourhood to attend to their needs.

The condition of senior citizens at an old folk’s home run by the Kim Loo Ting temple in Setapak often improves with the patience and dedication of the caretakers. - Star pic

Fu said that in Ampang, where her mother lives, there is a pool of retired nurses who offer caregiving service.

“The residents’ group can also arrange for caregiving trainings, activities and health sessions that can benefit everyone in the community. All it takes is just a bit of dedication and the spirit of volunteerism,” she said.

“I call babies and seniors the bookend generations, so whatever you have for the former, you should have the same for the latter.

“For instance, why can’t you have as many daycare, recreational centres and catering services for the elderly in the neighbourhood, so that they can stay close to their children?” she said.

Furthermore, such services can be a source of income for housewives and young retirees, she added.

At the same time, society should be equipped with public facilities to help seniors stay independent.

They should build parks with amenities for the elderly to build their strength; ramps, railings, grab bars, benches, sit-down toilets and many more should be in place so that the seniors can travel around safely.

“Society needs to have the elderly at heart, just think of how we would like our parents to be cared for,” she said.

“These are simple requirements, yet our society lacks it. Malaysians seem to think it is not worth it to invest in old people. We fight for children, environment and animals which are very good causes, so why not add in the elderly?” said Fu.

She said the Government had not been proactive about elderly care.

“It is wrong to think that only the Welfare Ministry should attend to this. The health, transport and many other ministries have a role to play, too,” she said.

Asked about the option of retirement village, she said an area could easily be turned into that as long as it has a hospital, shuttle service, security, shopping, amenities, alert system and CCTV.

She is working hard to improve seniors’ quality of life but hopes more will join the crusade. Some of her “dreams” are to create a privilege card for seniors, a cafe operated by seniors and a portal for the elderly to addresses to all their needs.

Government’s slacking

Aged Care Group’s chief executive officer Carol Yip said there was a lack of awareness on elderly care and most would be at a loss when they were forced into the caretaker’s role because the relevant information were very scattered.

“The middle-class is affected most. There is no public platform they can turn to for help and information. Many nursing homes are not properly licensed, and most of them are short-handed with a lot more maids than nurses,” Yip said.

The main problem, she said, is that the Government has not shown the commitment even though the country is becoming an ageing nation.

There’s little funding from the Government for elderly care, and they are taking too long to prepare the Aged Healthcare Act.

She said the various ministries must work together to address the issue.

Yip said her company tries to mobilise the community to address the issue of elderly care. Among the measures taken are working with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) to provide TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) service, and with IMC Education on the training of caregivers.

“The caregivers’ service is RM250 one day, but if there is a higher supply of trained caregivers, the cost can be lowered,” she said.

Caregiving service, outreach programme, home rehabilitation, one-stop pharmacy, care centre and reemployment after retirement are some of the services provided by her company to elevate seniors’ wellbeing.

Yip is actually against the idea of retirement homes as they are expensive and beyond the reach of the middle-income group.

“It all boils down to the availability of quality, affordable nursing care in the area,” she said.

She said Malaysia must create its own model for elderly care because every country was unique.

I have been a frequent user of public transportation since I gave up driving in 1998. While I have to say that there have been some changes for the better over the years, there is still plenty of room for further improvement.

Thank goodness for the demise of those pink mini-buses. Who can ever forget the terror rides by wannabe Formula 1 bus-drivers? Now we have air-conditioned Rapid KL buses. Seniors get a 50% discount on bus and train fares if they have a Rabbit Warga Emas card. We are also grateful for the free feeder buses e.g. GoKL buses and PJ buses.

Free shuttle buses are such a boon to seniors in terms of savings and convenience.

Senior citizens are probably the largest group that rely on public transport to get around. Board a bus any time of the day, and you can see the passengers are mostly retirees, pensioners and the elderly.

The government wants more young working people to use public transport in order to reduce the traffic congestion on our city streets. But why are they reluctant to do so? For that matter, many of my senior friends who are used to driving themselves around are also loathe to use our buses. Free transport or half fares are not appealing enough, apparently.

Source: 'Easing traffic jams with elevated dedicated bus lanes' - The Star, 15 June, 2015

I beg to disagree with Dato Sri Idris Jala, CEO of Pemandu, the unit in the PM's department tasked with implementing the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

Introducing elevated bus lanes is not the answer. Neither is increasing the number of buses. As long as potential riders have no clue where each bus goes, they will hesitate to board a bus.

The problem lies in the lack of information regarding bus routes. Go to any LRT or bus station, I can bet you won't be able to obtain a map of the train/bus routes for your personal reference. I have been trying for the past ten years. Each time I approach the counter for a map, the stock answers I get range from 'Habis' to 'Boleh download online'. Bear in mind that most seniors are not IT-savvy, and wouldn't know how to download maps and/or print a hard copy. Make things easy, not difficult for commuters.

Not an iota of infomation about the buses serving this bus-stop.

You find yourself at a bus-stop, and you are absolutely at a loss to know which bus will take you where you want to go - all because there is no infomation at the bus-stop. Instead, you will find all other types of information from how to contact money-lenders to who to call to rent a room.

Advertisements adorn the bus-stop, but we would rather have bus info. This bus-stop is opposite the Taman Bahagia LRT station.

Contact numbers for pawn shops and all manner of stickers, but nothing on bus routes. This one is along Jalan Ampang.

The bus stop outside the iconic Twin Towers at KLCC is an embarrassment. Definitely not people-friendly - not only is there no info, but there is nowhere to sit and wait. You can only rest leaning against the iron railing.

After years of waiting, finally an electronic signboard is installed at the KLCC bus-stop that tells the arrival and departure times of buses that serve these listed areas. But is this good enough? NO! Let's say you want to go to Pasar Seni. Do any of the buses go there? Which one? Also, I have noticed that when these signboards break down, it takes ages for them to be repaired and functioning again.

All bus-stops must have an information board that is locked to prevent vandalism. The board should carry info on the routes that each bus plies like in this image below taken outside Suntec in Singapore. That way, everyone, including tourists, will know which bus to take to go where they want to go. This is what commuters want - reliable information.

And while I am at it, I have a bone to pick with the state of many of our public buses, especially Metro buses. Not only do many of them emit smoke enough to envelope you from sight, the seats are in dire need of repair and re-upholstering. I have gingerly sat on seats with the central foam missing and exposing a gaping hole. It's a wonder I didn't fall through! Such buses have seen better days eons ago, and should be taken off the road immediately before they become a hazard to commuters.

The seat on the left is broken and held together with wires to the seat on the right. I was in the seat behind. If the wire snapped, both the lady and the seat would fall on me.

SeniorsAloud has been voicing our grouses on the shortcomings of our public transport system since April 2012 in our article 'Driven up the wall by our public buses'. We have participated in working committees on the issue, met with officers from SPAD at their premises, as well as facilitated workshops on the topic.

To their credit, SPAD and Prasarana have undertaken much-needed reforms in the public transport system, foremost is the introduction of free shuttle buses to serve the people of KL and PJ. But much more needs to be done, and quickly.

At least no one would dare plaster ads over the PM's image. But where's the bus info?

How difficult is it to provide full information on bus routes at every bus-stop? And to have maps of train routes available at all LRT-monorail stations for anyone who wants a copy? I can bet ridership will increase dramatically when such info is made easily available.

I hope this blog articles reaches the attention of the relevant authorities and prompt action taken to make it a joy for the people to travel by public transport. This would bring KL a step closer to being a people-friendly city.

Mom before she was
admitted to UMMC

The call came early on Saturday 20 June, at 7.27am to be precise. "Mom fell and fractured her left leg." Oh no, not again! The last time I received a similar call was in March 2011 when she slipped and fell at home. She broke her hip then, and had major surgery followed by months of rehabilitation. It was a traumatic experience both for her and for me as her primary caregiver. I had prayed that we would never have to go through the painful ordeal again. ("Mom Fell And Broke Her Right Hip")

Alas, with that phone call from my brother, it was deja vu all over again.

I cancelled all my appointments in Singapore for the following week, and took the earliest available flight back to Kuala Lumpur. It was straight from KLIA2 to UMMC (Universiti Malaya Medical Centre) with my luggage and all.

Before surgery - Mom's left leg all wrapped up and weighted down to keep it straight and raised. Even so, she was able to kick away the pillow and roll over on her left side. Surely that must have hurt?

The PFNA Asia (also known as PFNA II)

Mom had been rushed to emergency at UMMC, and subsequently admitted to the orthopedic ward. X-rays showed she had sustained a fracture to the femur near the hip joint. She had fallen from her bed to the floor in the nursing home. Due to her age (mom is 89), that minor fall was enough to cause a fracture. The doctors said she would require surgery, and gave me a number to contact to order (and pay in advance) a device called 'proximal femoral nail antirotation' or PFNA.

Surgery was scheduled for the afternoon of Monday 22 June. Unfortunately, just before she was wheeled into the operating theatre (OT) final tests showed her blood pressure was way too high to risk going ahead with the surgery. The doctors decided to postpone it to the morning of Wednesday 24 June.

During the intervening days, the nurses administered medicine to lower mom's BP to an acceptable level for surgery to proceed on Wednesday. When mom was wheeled out hours later from the OT, her eyes were wide open and she was alert. I noticed she wasn't on a drip. The instant she saw me, she called my name and insisted I accompany her back to the ward.

Obviously the surgery was a success. Post-surgery, however, was an entirely different story.

The two incisions where the PFNA device was inserted.

Caring for an elderly with dementia is vastly different from caring for one without. Dementia patients especially those recovering from surgery require supervision 24/7. My mom has dementia and this complicated matters tremendously. Her inability to understand and remember instructions made her most uncooperative to the point of being unintentionally rebellious. She couldn't fathom the need to have tubes, needles and bandages on her body, and was in the habit of removing them repeatedly, much to the frustration of the nurses and doctors.

She kept demanding help to get up and use the toilet. When reminded that she had diapers on, she insisted she didn't want to soil her pants. This was what upset her most - the loss of dignity and privacy at having to rely on others to change her diapers. She would scream, curse and swear at anyone, including the nurses, who didn't give in to her demands.

Before surgery (left) and after (right)

She couldn't recall that she had just had lunch or dinner, and demanded to be fed again. It was a challenge watching over her 24/7 to make sure she didn't try and get up, or remove the bandages/plasters/diapers. I had to resort to the services of a private nurse to relieve me on three occasions so I could get some rest. I was also lucky to have my sister-in-law come by on Saturday 27 June, so I could attend a workshop on 'Essentials of Dementia Care' organized by Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM).

On Sunday 28 June at 4pm, Mom was discharged from UMMC. That day was also my birthday. Indeed it was the second time I was spending my birthday in hospital, Only this time I was not the patient.

Mom with my bro Henry at her new nursing home in PJ

Right now Mom seems to have settled in nicely at this nursing home in Petaling Jaya, one of the very few that accept post-surgery admissions.

This is only the beginning of the road to recovery for Mom. She is one tough cookie. I am sure she will bounce back and be on her feet in no time.

(This post was written to share with family members and also with carers who may be going through a similar experience with their loved ones. More posts to follow...)

When an elderly parent has a bad fall and requires immediate medical attention, what do you do?

Call for an ambulance.

"Which hospital to send her?"

You have little time to think of comparative costs, hospital's reputation, doctors on your contact list. etcetera. There is even less time to consult family members.

So if you have an elderly parent living with you, it's advisable to do some homework and be prepared in the event she has to be admitted to the hospital immediately. Here are some factors that will help you decide where to send her, namely;

costs - how much can you pay? What's your max?
location - is the hospital close enough for daily visits?
reputation - what have you heard about the medical expertise and nursing care?
services - how efficient and integrated are the services?
facilities - do the facilities meet your expectations of comfort, care and convenience?

Still applicable by and large for public hospitals, but for private hospitals, the fees have skyrocketed. (Sourced from Astro Awani)

Surgery and hospital stay at a private hospital can swallow up a sizable portion of your retirement savings. If your elderly parents are in their 80s and 90s, they probably have no medical insurance. If you can afford it, or if your siblings are prepared to share the hefty bill, then by all means, opt for a private hospital.

Otherwise, go with a government hospital. Whether they work in a private hospital or a government one, all medical doctors are commited to the Hippocratic Oath to treat, mend and heal patients entrusted to their care. Even in teaching hospitals, senior surgeons and professors are there to supervise and step in when the situation calls for their intervention. So there is really no need for concern in this aspect.

The modern version still maintains the essence of the original

If there is any difference, it is arguably in the quality of nursing care. Private hospital nurses are at your beck and call. They cater to your every need or demand. They have better bedside manners, are more gentle and patient, and make an attempt to get to know you as an individual. But it will cost you. Nothing is complimentary. Every service or item, no matter how small, is chargeable.

Contrast that with the nurses in government hospitals, or at least in the one where my mom was admitted. The nurses behaved as if they were doing my mom a favour rather than providing a service. A couple of times my mom was busy with visitors and missed the diaper change when the nurses made their rounds. She had to wait till the next round which was hours away. When I asked for her diaper to be changed, the nurses showed their annoyance. On one occasion when I approached the nurse to change the bedsheet as my mom had wet it, she handed me a fresh bedsheet, expecting me to do it all by myself!

These are 2009 prices. Expect to pay much more now with GST. See below for current fees.

Government hospitals are heavily subsidized, so charges are a whole lot lower. For comparison, in March 2011, when my mom was discharged after 15 days in a private hospital for hip surgery and angioplasty, the bill came to a whopping RM45,532.90. This excludes the charges for rehabilitation and medicine. The itemised bill came to several pages!

Compare this with the costs incurred for my mom's recent 9-day stay in the orthopedic ward of a government teaching hospital. Irrespective of room-type, patients were charged RM70 a day. This covered breakfast, lunch, tea-time and dinner. You could select your meal from the daily menu. X-rays cost RM85 each, physiotherapy sessions RM20 each and doctor's (intern) consultation was Rm15. Add RM2120 for the PFNA device, and another couple of hundred for diapers, medicine, rubber gloves and other essential items, the grand total came to just under RM5000.

An amendment to the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 passed in Dec 2013 allows doctors in private clinics and hospitals to raise their fees. But as the official receipt above shows, some specialists can charge as much as RM340 or more for consultation and medicine.

The majority of middle income wage earners can't afford the high cost of sending a loved one to a private hospital. They will have to opt for a public hospital and bear with the less than satisfactory nursing care, basic facilities, and long queues for consultation and for medicine.

(On a separate note, if you are unable to stay in the hospital ward with your loved one for the entire period, you can hire the services of a part-time nurse. Charges are RM12 an hour at the hospital, and RM15 an hour for home care. The minimum is 12 hours to make it worth their while.)

Some conclusions:

Invest in medical insurance for yourself and your family if you haven't done so yet. Pensioners and their spouse enjoy free medical treatment and hospitalization, or pay only a nominal fee.
When you do your retirement planning, remember to factor in medical expenses for your elderly parents. Most financial planners don't mention this crucial allocation.
How much you can afford to pay is more important than showing how filial you are. Filial piety is not measured in monetary terms. Your mom will recover from hip surgery whether it is done in a private hospital or a government hospital.
Find out what you have to do to prevent falls in the elderly. My mom fell not once but several times, including two falls that required surgery and hospitalization. The first time she slipped and fell outside the bathroom. The second time she fell from her bed. Just bear in mind that despite the closest supervision and best preventive measures, accidents can and do happen. We can only reduce the risks.
Take care of your health. Keep fit. Eat sensibly. No awareness campaign is as powerful as the harsh reality of seeing patients in ICU with tubes inserted in their body after heart surgery. Equally heartbreaking is to hear the cries and moans of the patients in the orthopedic ward after amputation. An elderly patient in the room next to my mom's lost both legs and an arm because of diabetes. The government's anti-smoking campaign requiring all cigarette packs to carry images of lung cancer has met with limited success. To quit, smokers need to face harsh reality, not 2D images, campaigns or exhortations.

For a list of private hospitals, click on this link: http://new.medicine.com.my/private/hospitals/

For a list of government hospitals, click on this link: http://new.medicine.com.my/government/hospitals/

For many of us retirees, tightening our belts has become part and parcel of daily living. We think twice before purchasing non-essential items. Even when shopping for necessities, we have taken to comparing prices first before making a decision. Getting value for money is our shopping credo now.

It's not that we can't afford to spend, but with the implementation of GST, the weakening ringgit, and the escalating rise in the cost of living, we have to keep a careful eye on our spending. Unless we have shares that pay decent dividends, or own a small business that generates some income, we are depleting our savings as we spend. How long will our retirement funds last? Will our nest egg be sufficient to see us through the next 20 years? All it takes is just one major health crisis or a financial setback to wipe out a big chunk of our savings.

Falling back on our children for financial support is no longer an option. They have their own family and financial commitments to take care of. Consider ourselves fortunate if they don't seek support from us!

Award-winning occupational therapist Lim Hwee Er is founder of Goshen Consultancy Services

So this leaves us with no choice but to work for as long as we are able, or invest wisely to generate some extra income for rainy days and old age.

I'll leave the financial experts to advise on investments. With age working against us in the employment market, the most feasible option is probably to start a small home-based business. Below are some suggestions that require minimal start-up capital, and virtually no overheads to worry about if you operate from your home. What you must have are determination, resilience and commitment to deliver your best.

If you live in a residential neighbourhood e.g. Taman Megah, or in a condo complex e.g. Mont Kiara, you already have a pool of potential customers for the following services:

Home Tutoring and Classes

Home tuition - especially recommended for retired teachers. So convenient for parents looking for an experienced home tutor to coach their children in English/Bahasa, Maths and Music. There is also demand to teach Conversational English to expat wives and other adults who have a desire to improve their English.
Cooking classes - easy enough to conduct cooking or baking classes in your home. Or rent a multi-purpose function room in your condo block to conduct your classes.
Computer classes - you will be surprised how many seniors are eager to learn how to use the internet and social media. You can conduct classes for interested seniors. They bring their own laptops or tablets.

Consider teaching seniors how to use social media either on a personal tutor basis or in a class.

Personalized services

Home Physiotherapy (Image: AsiaOne.com)

Physiotherapy, massage, pedicure, manicure, facials, etc. Make use of your experience in these fields. If you don't have the experience but have an interest to learn, go get the training required.
One of my friends conducts swim classes for seniors in their condo pool. They can choose to have one-to-one instruction, or in a group of three.
Confinement ladies are earning very good money, often commanding RM8000 and above for their services for just one month of post-delivery cooking and caring for the newborn baby. In Singapore, the going rate can be as high as SGD3000!

Confinement ladies can make good money especially in Singapore (Image from The Ant Daily)

Small home-based businesses

Just as there ia a huge demand for services targeting parents with little children e.g. home child-minding, daycare centres, tuition centres, there is an even greater and more urgent demand to provide similar services for the elderly.

Start small within your condo or neighbourhood community. If you satisfy your customers, they will promote your services by word of mouth. Maintain quality control and prompt service, and you can be assured of a viable business that will contribute towards your nest egg. I know of friends who are doing splendidly operating from their home kitchen, taking orders for cakes, jams and roasted nuts.

With global ageing comes a wide and varied range of services that cater to the needs of the elderly. Opportunities are excellent for those interested in targeting this niche market:

Daycare centres for the elderly, There is a HUGE demand for such a service. Statistics are not available, but the number of elderly parents left alone at home is on the rise. Adult children with elderly parents would welcome such centres. Start small by taking in not more than five elderly who required minimal assistance with feeding and mobility.
Meal delivery to the elderly. The elderly have special dietary needs. Meal delivery would appeal to them, especially to those who find it a hassle to cook.
Transport-on-call. Provides an essential service for the elderly living alone who need to see the doctor or do grocery shopping. The service comes with extras, like keeping the elderly company at the hospital, or helping with the groceries.

Meal delivery at your door-step for senior citizens (Image: Internet)

If you are seeking paper qualifications or skills training for any of the above, check out what courses are offered at baking schools, IT centres, Centres for Continuing Education at local universities. MCA Wanita as well as Women's Institute of Malaysia (WIM) regularly conduct courses to equip women with skills to enable them to earn an income.

There are also free online courses that you can sign up for. All it takes is just a Google search to find out what's available, where, and when.

A baking class in session at MCA Wanita's training course for confinement nannies (Image from MCA website)

As long as you have the drive and the determination to succeed, you are never too old for an encore career, or be your own boss. Not only does working keep you mentally, physically and socially active, it helps to supplement your retirement funds. The key is to find a vocation or a business that drives you. Then it is no longer work but a passion.

Thanks to an unexpected birthday gift of a return air ticket to Amsterdam, I had the opportunity to visit Hogewey Village. It has been on my wish list since I first read about the place two years ago, and watched CNN's Dr Sanjay Gupta's insightful documentary 'Dementia Village'. Now I can happily strike Hogewey off my wish list.

The prime mover behind this innovative concept is co-founder and former nurse Yvonne van Amerongen. I had emailed her earlier requesting permission to visit the facility with Marianne Abbink Lankhorst, my Dutch friend. She wrote back to say we were both welcomed to visit anytime. Excellent!

So there we were at Hogewey on a warm Thursday afternoon of 29 July 2015. Visitors enter and exit via the sliding door which is controlled by the receptionist. The door remains closed to the residents. They are not allowed out of the facility on their own.

We were given a map showing the layout of the place, and several information sheets about Hogewey. We had the freedom to move around and explore but were reminded to respect the privacy of the residents. In other words, no peering into their living quarters or taking their photos without their permission. But we were welcome to use the information and images provided on the Vivium website.

Front view of Hogewey

The homes and the courtyards. So much greenery and flowering shrubs, and benches everywhere.

The Indonesian lifestyle corner. Indonesia was once a Dutch colony.

As we had no access to the homes, this composite image is taken from internet sources. It gives you an idea of the different lifestyle settings. Residents are housed in groups according to the lifestyle they are familiar with.

Hogewey is the world's first village built specifically for people in the advanced stage of dementia. The concept for it is based on the belief that dementia patients can still enjoy a relatively normal life if they live together with like-minded people in an environment that is familiar to them.

Residents share a common dining room and living room (Images: Daily Mail)

There are currently 152 residents at Hogewey, with six to seven housed in each of the 23 homes. grouped into seven distinct lifestyle settings: urban, homely, cultural, traditional, Gooi (well-to-do), Indonesian and Christian. Residents have their own bedrooms but share a common living room, dining room and kitchen. Each home has one or two staff to look after the residents and do the cooking.

Another view of the homes.

The staff at Hogewey outnumber the residents 4:1. You will see them as housekeepers, shop assistants and minders, but you won't find them in staff uniform. Volunteers are identified by a nondescript badge they wear. Hogewey takes great pains to avoid any resemblance to a hospital or a nursing home. Instead, it strives to make Hogewey as close as possible to a small gated neighbourhood complete with its own supermarket, cafe, restaurant, beauty salon and theatre. There is a large central square and smaller ones or courtyards with benches and chairs where residents can sit and soak in the sunshine, weather permitting.

(When we were there, there was intermittent rain. That explains why you don't see any residents outdoors in the photos.)

Join me as I take you on a tour of Hogewey.

The main boulevard, with shops flanking both sides.

The cafe is the first outlet you see on your left as you walk along the boulevard.

This is probably where the residents go to work their muscles and limbs.

There's even a repair shop in case anything needs fixing.

Inside the beauty salon. We didn't get to enter so this image is taken from the Daily Mail.

This is The Passage - a spacious hall where the residents gather to enjoy group activities. There is always music playing in the background as the elderly love music from the old days. Expect to see some of them dancing too. We did.

That's Marianne at the door of the Rembrandt Room. This is where the residents enjoy art and craft activities.

The supermarket at Hogewey is well-stocked. Every item carries a price tag. The cashier issues a receipt for purchases but no cash changes hands. All transactions are covered in the residents' payment scheme.

There are no locks anywhere. Doors and elevators open and close as you step on the weight-sensitive floor panel. Residents have the freedom to move around and participate in the daily programme of activities if they wish to. The objective is to make life in Hogewey as normal as possible, and as close to what they are accustomed to.

No need to press any button or turn any door knob. Doors open when you step on the floor panel in front of it.

According to Yvonne in the CNN interview, the concept works. Residents do not need as much medication, they seem happier and are living longer. The Hogewey model has been replicated in Canada, Switzerland and the UK, and that's evidence of its success, aside from the awards it has won since 2010. Apparently those on the waiting list have to wait at least a year before there is a vacancy. That only happens when a resident has passed on. Hogewey is where those with severe dementia come to live out their remaining years in peace and with dignity.

The residents I met while strolling around Hogewey gave me friendly smiles and nods. Except for one resident in a wheelchair cuddling a doll, visitors would not know that the elderly folk enjoying activities in The Passage have Alzheimer's. A group was happily playing a board game, another was setting up pins for bowling.

To the outsider, Hogewey is a microcosm of a make-believe world. But to the residents, it is a reality that is a continuation of life as they know it, in a setting that they are familiar with.

Programme of activities in Dutch, of course.

The burning question readers might want to ask is: How much are the fees? Around USD3600 per resident per month. It's heavily subsidized by the Dutch government, otherwise it would cost upwards from USD8000 a month. At such figures, only the super rich with dementia in Malaysia and Singapore can afford to live out their final days in this utopia.

August seems to be a popular month for seminars. I attended three, and had to skip two as they clashed with other commitments. Some of the information I picked up from each of these seminars is of relevance to seniors. I am sharing these slides and images below in the hope that our blog readers will benefit from the information given by the distinguished speakers.

Sat 15 August - Seminar on "Beyond Dentistry: More Than Teeth" presented by Channel News Asia and Specialist Dental Group of Singapore

Who would want to pay S$10 and spend Saturday afternoon listening to a group of dental and medical specialists talk about tooth decay, gum disease, etcetera? The answer: 500 people! Dental talks can be most boring, but the six specialists certainly knew how to inform, impress and entertain the audience with their lively presentation of the latest advances in dental care.

A packed ballroom at the dental seminar. (Image from Specialist Dental Group blog)

While every one of the six speakers had good advice to offer on how to maintain dental health and ensure our teeth last a lifetime, the talk that resonated most with me as a senior citizen was 'Better Teeth, Better Years' delivered by prosthodontist Dr Neo Tee Khin.

Remember how we dreaded going to the dentist during our childhood days in the 1950s and 60s? Qualified dentists were a rare breed then, especially in the small towns. Those we had were men in white who had learned their trade from other men in white before them through a period of apprenticeship. The fastest remedy for a persistent toothache in those days was an immediate extraction. That's how many ended up losing good teeth and having them replaced with ill-fitting dentures.

Thank goodness dentistry today has gone far beyond those dark days of terror in the dentist's chair. Dentists, like doctors, are sworn to save our teeth. Extraction is always the last resort. If you have a choice and if you can afford it, go for implants rather than dentures. They fit better, function and look like natural teeth, and last a lifetime if you practise dental hygiene diligently.

The speakers. Very impressive qualifications and credentials. Click here for their biodata.

Poor dental hygiene can lead to health problems like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease/stroke, lung infections, stomach ulcers, cancer and even erectile dysfunction. To maintain strong teeth and healthy gums, visit your dentist every six months, brush your teeth twice a day (also after meals if you can), and FLOSS, FLOSS, FLOSS!

For more about each of the talks and the speakers, click here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thurs 13 August - Symposium on "Ageing in Malaysia: From Molecules to Community" organized jointly by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Sat 22 August - Seminar on "The Rising Tide - Dementia - Can we stop it?" organized by the Gerontological Society, Singapore

Both seminars focused on dementia and shared similar findings from the research studies done although the racial demographics differed. Some images of slides taken from the talks:

Both Malaysia and Singapore will have an ageing population by 2050. This will see a rise in the number of people with dementia.

As the population ages, we are seeing a dramatic rise in cases of dementia among the elderly. What are the signs of dementia? Is it preventable? Curable? Inheritable? How can caregivers deal with the stress of looking after a dementia patient 24/7? What are the costs involved in dementia care? These were some of the questions that the three speakers addressed.

A/Prof Dr Rathi Mahendran reported on the Jurong Ageing Study (JAS), conducted to find out how interventions of mindfulness, art, tai chi and music reminiscence can help the elderly with mental health problems. Click here to view a video of Prof Kua Ee Heok taking about the study.

Pay heed to the risk factors.

Immediate Past President of the Gerontological Society of Singapore, A/Prof Goh Lee Gan shared on the Dementia Prevention Program. He called for volunteers to be trained to assist with conducting the program. Click here to view related video of Prof Kua Ee Heok explaining the program.

A briefing session for volunteers on the components of the program. Interested? Please contact Ms Chan Hui Yu at chan_hui_yu@nuhs.edu.sg

The Health component of the program in detail

The same advice for both Malaysians and Singaporeans on how to reduce the risks of getting dementia

With Prof Kua Ee Heok. We hail from the same hometown of Batu Pahat, and share a common interest in dementia. An Oxford-Harvard graduate in psychiatry, Prof Kua has written many books on the subject and is a much sought after speaker on ageing and mental health issues.

September is World Alzheimer's month. We will be featuring articles that will help promote awareness of Alzheimer's and also share stories by carers on how they cope with looking after a loved one with Alzheimer's - the most common form of dementia.

Here's one story published in Alzheimer's Association blog that will resonate with those of us caring for an elderly parent with Alzheimer's. It provides some answers to questions such as:

How do we cope?
Is Alzheimer's hereditary?
How should we prepare for our future if tests show that we carry the Alzheimer's gene?

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
by Daisy Duate

Five years ago, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, my mom Sonia moved from Chicago to Missouri. She lived with my brother for a month and then with my sister for about a week. It was soon obvious that I had to take over the responsibility of being her primary caregiver. We were always inseparable, but now we are more inseparable than ever.

Due to a very long history of Alzheimer’s in my family, I was asked if I wanted to take part in a clinical study, which included a test to see if I carry the gene for early-onset familial Alzheimer’s.* I didn’t think twice. My brother and sister chose not to take it, but the minute it was brought to my attention, I wanted to do it. It was in my head from the beginning – what if I have Alzheimer’s and it is exposed at age 42 or 43? I am almost 40. Who is going to take care of my mother? Who is going to take care of me? I had to prepare myself.

I worked on getting all of my ducks in a row, taking all the proper measures and precautions. I got life insurance right away so that someone would be able to take care of my mom and not have to put her in a nursing home. In addition to taking care of mom, I had to be willing to accept whether or not I will have the disease. Three-quarters of my family has passed away with Alzheimer’s. I am the only one of my siblings that wanted to be tested. I would like to think that I inspired my cousins – who are now interested in finding out if they carry the gene – as their mother was recently diagnosed as well.

As for me? The test came back positive. One day, I will have Alzheimer’s.

I don’t think of it; I simply shrug it off. I just see what my mom is going through and know I need to take care of her. In my younger years, I was a bit of a party animal – I owned a sports bar – and now my mom is my main focus in life. How can I be a caregiver to someone I love so much and not stand up for her and her needs as someone with the disease? She is what matters the most.

My typical day is very different from what it used to be. I wake up, make coffee and then wake up Mom. I often have to strip the bed and then take her to bathroom and get her into the shower. Then I brush her teeth, dress her and do her hair and makeup. I take her to work with me at my sister’s restaurant, and she is with me all day until I get off work. We often go on a walk to get some ice cream and go to the park. I end the day by taking her home and making her dinner. After she goes to bed, I go to sleep, and I do everything again the next day. It’s a whole new life.

The Alzheimer’s Association has been there for me every step of the way. I had already been on team Sonia’s Angels in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the past few years in support of my grandma and my mom. When I was diagnosed by my genetic counselor, I received information about grieving, counseling and caregiving from the Association. In my previous life, I had never been an activist; I was the quiet one. Now I advocate for my mom. If you wish to see a change in the world, you have to step up.

My involvement in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) study means that I take a variety of medications and skills tests. Although the whole group is supportive and loving, the medication is physically very painful for me. All the same, if my participation helps find a cure for someone in the future – whether it’s me or my nieces and nephews – I will take all of the pain. I try to stay positive. Everything happens for a reason, and life is too short to just mope around.

I help spread awareness because there is a stigma surrounding age and Alzheimer’s. People always tell me that I look 21 years old and can’t imagine that I could develop this disease at any time. The truth right now is that Mom has the disease; I have the gene, but I don’t have the disease yet. That is why I try not to dwell on it.

There is simply not enough money or exposure for Alzheimer’s. We have to get the word out in order to save the future for others. The more awareness we can raise, the better it is for the disease. We need to find – and fund – a cure. Alzheimer’s is currently the 6th leading cause of death; we must make strides to end it now.

*Younger/Early-onset Alzheimer’s caused by a genetic mutation is rare and the vast majority of early-onset and late-onset cases cannot be determined by a genetic test. Health professionals do not currently recommend routine genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease, although testing for APOE-e4 is sometimes included as a part of research studies. For more information on Genetic testing, click here.

About the Author: Daisy Duarte, 39, is a caregiver for her mother Sonia, 59. Daisy speaks to colleges and other groups to raise awareness in the fight to end Alzheimer’s. Daisy and Sonia live in Missouri.

Your local Alzheimer's Organization:

Malaysia
Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM)
14, Lorong Utara A, 46200, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, 46200
Phone:03-7958 1522

Alzheimer's Caregivers Network Malaysia

Singapore
Alzheimer's Disease Association Singapore
New Horizon Centre - Toa Payoh
Blk 157, Toa Payoh Lorong 1
#01-1195, Singapore 310157
Tel: 6353 8734

Dementia Helpline (Singapore): 6377 0700 (Mon to Fri, 9.00am - 6.00pm)

Robin Stanley Augustin's recent article 'Caring for the elderly: Ensure welfare homes are regulated' in The Ant Daily drew attention to the sorry state of welfare homes in our country. It's high time the government devoted more resources to improving the quality of life for those living in welfare homes for the elderly. There is urgent need for reforms in this sector.

Here's what he wrote:

How we treat the older generation says a lot about us as a society.
Do we care about their welfare? Are they a priority to us and the government?
Are we pushing the authorities enough to ensure their best interests are taken care of?"

There are many privately-run retirement centres especially in housing estates all over the country. These centres, more commonly referred to as old folks homes provide shelter, food and care to the elderly whose families cannot or will not care for.

There is a real demand for the services provided by these homes due to the rising cost of living, the high cost of homes and the number of families in which both husbands and wives are both working full time.

Many members of the public are supportive of such homes, donating cash, food items and clothes, and while these are indeed good handouts, it alone does not guarantee that the welfare of the elderly are taken care of.

This is because many of these privately-run homes are unregistered and unregulated.

This is cause for concern and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing is calling on the government to address the situation.

Click here to continue reading.

Most homes, especially unlicensed ones, are understaffed and overcrowded. Care is minimal and facilities are basic and spartan.

Having visited close to 50 homes in the Klang Valley over the past five years, let me share what I have learned, and offer some advice based on my personal experience.

Facilities

Visit the home personally and see it for yourself. Do not just rely on what you have heard from someone or have read in the advertisement. The home must meet your requirements. Nothing like seeing the place for yourself.
Check if the home has age-friendly facilities e.g. grab bars in the toilet and bathroom, non-slip floor tiles/mats, and easy access for wheel chairs.
The rooms should be well-ventilated, spacious and bright. Avoid homes that cram too many beds in each room.
Beds should have side railing to prevent falls. Mattresses and pillows should not be lumpy or worn-out.

Administration and Management

Talk to the administrator or nurse manager. Ask the right questions, For example, what's the staff-residents ratio? Are the carers trained/experienced? Are there regular visits by doctors? What are the provisions for emergencies?
Ask about the administrative framework. Is there a board of trustees or at the very least a management committee to oversee the running of the home? I would hesitate to recommend a home that is run by one or two individuals who control everything. Such homes are likely to be unlicensed. There must be checks and balances to ensure proper and efficient supervision and management of the home.
Find out about the daily program of activities, meals and visiting hours. Most homes leave the residents to their own devices. They end up feeling bored or depressed, or staring blankly at the tv screen or at the ceiling.

Daily schedule of activities and meal plan at a home for the elderly

Charges

Most government welfare homes are free. However, places are limited, and facilities are basic.
For private homes, charges vary depending on the facilities and services offered. Also how much care and what type of room is required. Generally, monthly charges can be as low as RM1500 and as high as RM5000 or more. Find out if there are extra charges for laundry, diapers, medicine, and physiotherapy.
Most private homes require one month's deposit and one month's fees upon admission. Make sure they issue receipts. Find out about refunds, whether in full or pro rata.
Visits to the government clinics are free for the elderly. Check that the home doesn't bill you for them.

Miscellaneous

How can you tell if the home is registered and licensed? Well, ask the home manager when you visit and request for the name/business card. If he can't produce one, consider that a red flag.
If it's a double-storey buidling, look for a fire escape outside. If there is none, the home is likely to be unlicensed.
If the home looks uninviting from the outside, there really is no point in ringing the doorbell.
In these days of social media, a well-managed home should have a website and/or an FB page. Do the online research first before visiting a home. Call to make an appointment to visit to ensure the home manager is there to show you around and answer your questions.

Here is one welfare home that stood out, and that should serve as a model for other welfare homes as well as privately-run homes for the elderly. The images below speak for the excellent work of the administrators in providing quality care to the residents of Ci Hang Welfare Home in Shah Alam, Selangor. It takes in mostly the elderly who are poor, abandoned and physically challenged.

I hope this article gives you a good idea of what to look for in a good home for the elderly. First impressions do count in this case. If the home is dirty, the furniture worn-out, and the staff look overworked or unfriendly, don't waste a minute longer at the place.

You will be surprised how many homes you will strike out from your To Check-out list before you finally find one that is the answer to your prayers.

Today is the last day of World Alzheimer's Month, and tomorrow (1 Oct 2015) is UN's 25th International Day of Older Persons. What better way to spend the day than at Hospital Kuala Lumpur's celebration of Older Persons.

The main lobby was packed with senior citizens checking out the poster exhibition and queuing up for the various free health tests. But it was the forum that drew my interest, in particular, Dr Rizah Mazzuin's presentation on 'Caregiver Stress'. Dr Rizah is a geriatrician with Hospital KL.

Any primary caregiver looking after an elderly person with Alzheimer's can tell you about the STRESS plus FRUSTRATION you will face. You have to look after a person who is often uncooperative, unresponsive and unpredictable. That's the nature of Alzheimer's - a disease which eats away at one's ability to remember, communicate and function normally.

Most caregivers are reluctant to seek help from others as they consider it their filial duty to care for their elderly parents, and they should accept it without complaint. However, caregivers who are overly stressed will do more harm than good not only to the care receiver, but also to themselves. They become impatient, irritable or worse, abusive to the person they are supposed to care for. Their health suffers, and they may end up with serious mental problems like depression.

If you are the sole caregiver of someone with Alzheimer's, do seek help from your siblings, neighbours or part-time nurses. Get them to take over for a few hours a week so that you can have a break to rest, relax and revitalize. (Read how my siblings helped out when I became primary caregiver for my mom after her hip surgery. To complicate the caregiving, she was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's. (http://www.seniorsaloud.com/2011/03/it-takes-whole-family.html)

In June 2011, my daughters gave me an all-expense paid week-long vacation in Phuket. They called it my 'caregiver break' as they felt I needed to get away and re-energize. More at http://www.seniorsaloud.com/2011/06/caregiver-takes-break-in-phuket.html

Learn to delegate. Also learn to accept that others who help you may not do things exactly the same way as you do. In other words, don't micro-manage. People are more willing to help you if you are reasonable in your expectations.

Take care of your health. Exercise daily, follow a balanced diet, and get suffcient quality sleep. Meditation also helps to calm you as looking after an AD patient can be most frustrating, even exasperating.

Join a support group like ADFM NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S CAREGIVERS SUPPORT NETWORK MALAYSIA. Nothing helps to relieve stress more than sharing your concerns with others who are on the same caregiving journey as you. There is comfort in knowing that you are not alone.

Remember:

While writing this article, I realised today is World Habitat Day. How appropriate.

The right to adequate shelter is a basic human right. Home ownership is what everyone aspires for. Unfortunately with property prices sky-rocketing, owning a house is beyond the financial means of the majority.

What is sadder than being unable to own a house is to be evicted from one's own house, and see it being demolished right in front of your eyes.

This is exactly what happened to the residents of Kampung Hakka.

Kampung Hakka (Photo: Victor Chin)

The story for me personally began a week ago when I accepted an invitation from Victor Chin to a cook-out at Kampung Hakka. So yesterday (Sunday 4 Oct), along with two friends, we made the short trip to the village in Mantin, just 45 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur.

I came to know about the village after watching "Memory as Resistance" at the recent Freedom Film Fest 2015. It was an award-winning human rights film directed by Chan Seong Foong and Victor Chin.

I was eager to meet Grandma Kong, 88. Born and raised in the 120-year old village as was her mother and her grandmother, Grandma Kong has become the face of the struggle to defend Kg Hakka against further demolition.

Visiting Grandma Kong in Kg Hakka. Her house is typical of those built by the Chinese in the vllages and small towns at the turn of the 20th century.

Situated across from the village community centre, Grandma Kong's humble abode welcomes all visitors. They come by the carloads every weekend: urban families curious to see the century-old village, others to capture memories of what life used to be, and the rest, like me, eager to find out what kind of assistance we could offer.

Top: Grandma Kong's house is typical of Chinese village houses built during the early tin-mining days. The altar faces the front door and occupies pride of place in the sitting room. Note the curtain in lieu of a door for the bedroom, and the row of ancestors' photos. Red scrolls with auspicious words are pasted in strategic places in the house.

Grandma Kong was chatty and loved to share stories about life in the old days. I asked if she needed anything. Perhaps we could gift it to her under our 'Grant a wish for the elderly' fund. Nothing, she said. She had all she needed. Her unspoken wish was probably to live out her life in this house that has been her home for almost 90 years. It was a wish beyond our ability to grant.

Do share these photos (above and below) with your grandchildren. Children brought up in urban areas and used to modernization would be shocked at how spartan and rugged life was for their ancestors.

Top: The kitchen and stove. The old-fashioned way of cooking using charcoal and wood produced some of the best dishes I have tasted growing up in a small town. In the houses we visited, water comes from the well. A system of makeshift pipes distributes water to the rest of the house, including the toilets.

The earthen jar with the dragon motif is an ubiquitous item in Chinese homes. Note the air-well. It provides natural lighting and ventilation to the house.

Rakan Mantin or Friends of Mantin organizes events and activities to raise funds to promote awareness of our historical and cultural heritage, and the need to preserve it for future generations.

We joined a large group that was already there. The cook-out had just begun. The village aunties were busy preparing Hakka dishes for lunch later. Some of the visitors tried their hand at making kueh and stuffing fish paste for yong tau fu. It was a communal activity that the womenfolk enjoyed. Here cooking was done the old-fashioned way in the open and with plenty of helping hands.

Lunch is ready. Please queue - children and the elderly first. Thank you.

Top: kueh made from leaves like the ones I'm holding. Eating out Kg Hakka style.

Life passes slowly in Kg Hakka, especially on a Sunday. Here's a mother kneading flour to make kueh while her son looks on. Learning by observing, and then doing. No electrical gadgets, no recipe book. When friends or relatives drop by, it's a good excuse to play a game of mahjong and share the latest news or gossip over a hot cup of tea or coffee.

The way it used to be - vegetable gardens and happy residents enjoying a laid-back rustic lifestyle reminiscent of the old days. (Photo: Malay Mail online)

The idyllic lifestyle in Kg Hakka was rudely disrupted in November 2013 when bulldozers came and demolished 30 houses. Urban development had finally reached the doors of the villagers.

The villagers could only watch in despair and anger as the bulldozers destroyed their homes. (Photo: Malaysiakini)

Expressing their plight and rights on the wall of an old house. (Photo: Adib Rawi Yahya)

Two of the older residents tell their story

We did a walking tour of Kg Hakka led by one of the village leaders. It was sad to see so many abandoned houses as well as dilapidated ones. The owners had obviously lost hope and moved out. 80 families lost their homes in Phase 1 of the demolition in November 2013. Phase 2 is on hold. The remaining 40 families are determined to press on with their fight to save their village.

Some of the abandoned houses in Kg Hakka.

Residents like Yap Tuck Chai are determined to stop further demolition of the remaining houses.

Those interested in reading the backstory of Kg Hakka, click on the links below:

After surviving 120 years, Kampung Hakka may fall to modern times

Kg Hakka: Developers blame politicians

We'll continue fighting for Kg Hakka

If you would like to contribute towards Rakan Mantin's efforts to get a new roof for the community centre, the details are above.

SeniorsAloud will be screening "Memory as Resistance" on Friday 23 Oct morning at Wisma WIM, TTDI. This will be followed by a Q and A session with the film directors Chan Seong Foong and Victor Chin. Do mark the date on your calendar and join us for the event. More details will be announced soon on our SeniorsAloud Facebook page.

I visited HOMEDEC (Part 1) last Friday mainly to check out the three design concepts for aged care living. This was touted as the special feature of this year's exhibition. I came away quite disappointed at what was showcased. Having visited aged care facilities in Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands, there was plenty that could have been added to the units on display. Perhaps the limitation could have been due to space constraint.

However, having said that, the organisers did come up with a booklet that was much more comprehensive in detailing the essential features that should be incorporated into homes for the aged.

HOMEDEC (Part 2) is on this weekend from 29 Oct to 1 Nov. The Aged Care show units will be there, but for the benefit of those who are unable to attend HOMEDEC or get a copy of the booklet, we share some tips from the booklet: