TRANSFORMING ageing neighbourhoods by creating more facilities for the elderly may help lower the cost of professional senior care services, says Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung (pic).
Citing Petaling Jaya as an example, Lee said enrolment in several schools had declined over the years due to the city’s ageing population.
“The government could consider merging schools with dwindling enrolment to free up land for senior care facilities catering to the needs of ageing residents.
“With more facilities available, prices of professional senior care services might decrease,” he said during a community senior care event themed “From Stress to Strength: Essential Family Skills x Elderly Prevention x New Career Opportunities” at Sin Chew Media Corporation in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The free event, jointly organised by PJ Lestari, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Zone 10 councillor Christopher Ong, Malaysian Association for Social Care Professionals and Homes (Masoc Care), and Sin Chew Daily, aimed to raise public awareness of senior care skills and knowledge.
Lee said many senior citizens were forced to turn to unregistered or substandard care centres due to the high cost of professional care.
“Based on my observations, the monthly fee of a professional senior care centre currently stands at around RM8,000, which is a prohibitive amount,” he said.
He noted that many existing senior care centres were not properly registered because of the high costs involved in meeting regulatory standards.
“The government should reform the senior care ecosystem to strike a balance between affordability and quality of life for senior citizens,” he added.
Lee also urged the government to allocate more funds to expand senior care training through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
He said digital tools could also improve service delivery.
Other steps that could be taken, he said, included promoting electronic medical records (EMR) and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies for smoother and more efficient senior care services.
“For example, AI and big data can help doctors forecast disease trends so that patients can adjust their lifestyles accordingly.
“Meanwhile, EMR allows seamless transfer of patient information between hospitals.
“I hope these steps can be included in Budget 2026, which is set to be tabled in Parliament on Oct 10,” he added.
