Elderly may receive better care at old folks homes
TAWAU: The feeling of uneasiness and guilt in sending parents to old folks homes should be discarded as they tend to receive better care and attention at the home compared to being left alone at home.
Assistant Minister of Health and People’s Well-being Norazlinah Arif, said that times have changed and people should change their outlook and perception of old folks’ homes.
Norazlinah said that becoming a resident in an old folks home does not imply that the person is being neglected by the family.
In today’s challenging lifestyle, with a high commitment towards work, the need to send parents to old folks home arises and would be a much better option than having to leave them alone without being monitored or cared for by anyone, she said when officiating at the Hari Raya celebration at the Hot Spring Old Folks Home yesterday.
“We want to change the perception, make people understand. If it turns out that there are no means to take care the parents, send them to the old folks home and let us help them,” she urged.
According to Norazlinah, there are enough facilities to care for the residents at old folks homes, and as children, the responsibility does not stop there as they will still be able to make visits and take their parents out for leisure.
Norazlinah said efforts are being made on the matter through a campaign that highlights entering an old folks home is not something that is negative.
Meanwhile, Sabah Welfare Service Department director Mohamad Noor Wahab disclosed that there has been no complaint so far from any of the three old folks homes in Sabah, in Kinarut (Papar), Sandakan and Tawau as the residents are fully looked after with tender loving love.
He said in Tawau, a new building costing more than RM9 million is being built and work has started with the expected completion in two years time. The new building is located next to the current old folks home.
Also present were Balung assemblyman Datuk Osman Jamal, Tawau KAFA chairman Datuk Ismail Mayakob, who co-organized the function with the old folks home, and the home’s officer in-charge, Taufik Leong.