Public perspective shifts from stigma to ideal solution

PETALING JAYA: As caregiving improves, nursing homes are increasingly considered a practical choice for families seeking dependable support.

Business owner Mahmood Abdul Rahim, 53, said that despite the negative perception surrounding children sending their parents to nursing homes, it turned out to be a good choice.

His parents, who have been at a nursing home in Selangor for the past six years, enjoy spending time with people their age through activities such as gardening, knitting, sewing, reading the Quran, and praying.

“We used to think that sending parents to nursing homes was a cruel act, but it is actually better for my parents.

“Otherwise, they’ll get bored waiting for me to come home from work or for my kids to finish school. It is important that there is always someone at home,” he said.

Meanwhile, a civil servant who wanted to be known only as Mohamed is concerned about whether he will be able to care for his parents as he himself is getting older.

The 41-year-old said that although his parents are independent in their 70s, he is looking at the option of sending his parents to a care home.

“My parents have the usual elderly ailments, like high blood pressure. What would happen to them if I am not able to care for them one day?

“The prices are a setback. It could go up to RM8,000 a month per person in the Klang Valley,” he said.

The high fees associated with sending senior citizens to care homes are also a big factor for Mohd Azam Talib, 44, who is struggling to feed his own family as the cost of living goes up.

“I would prefer to take care of my parents, but my work will take me away for days at a time, and I worry about their well-being because my wife also works and my children go to school.

“My parents can still drive and do grocery shopping on their own, but they are in their mid-70s now.

“They have asked me to send them to a nursing home when they reach 80 and want to use their EPF money, but I would prefer if they used the money for their own spending.

“I’m hoping there will be cheaper nursing homes in the future because I don’t want to send them to cheap, shabby care homes,” he said.

However, Mohd Azam’s father, Talib Muzaffar, 76, said he would not mind joining any nursing home as long as it is not too far from his son’s house.