Whose Responsibility Is It To Provide For The Elderly?

As Malaysia continues our path towards becoming an aged society, whose responsibility is it to ensure that the needs of older adults - be it financial, physical or emotional - are met? In a report by Berita Harian last week, Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, the deputy minister for women, family and community development, said that sending one’s parents to a residential care facility should be a last resort. She also added that the government spends about RM900 million a year to provide financial aid and care to the elderly. But is the concept of filial piety enough to ensure well-being of older adults in the years to come? Consultant geriatrician Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin from Universiti Malaya weighs in on how we need to empower older adults to be more independent.

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