PETALING JAYA: Old folks homes can be a pain for seniors. Some are restrictive, and it may feel like being in a hospital or, worse, being in detention.
To offer a better quality of life for such seniors, the government is encouraging “ageing in place” – where older persons remain in their homes and communities but still get access to the support they need.
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is promoting ageing in place, supported by initiatives that foster a community-integrated system instead of a hospital-centric model.
“The Social Welfare Department (DSW) has set up Home Help Services throughout the country through smart partnerships with NGOs to provide care for older persons living alone,” the ministry said.
“DSW provides financial assistance of RM600 per month for older persons to help them remain with their families or communities.”
Among the home help services provided are transporting the bedridden to hospitals or clinics for health treatment and assisting the older persons in personal hygiene.
As of December 2025, a total of 6,530 older persons have received this service offered by 2,152 volunteers nationwide.
Recently, the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025 showed that a rising number of seniors were living alone – from 6.3% in 2018 to 18.8% last year.
This means that about one in every five senior citizens is living alone.
Nevertheless, 61.3% of those living alone reported high social support, which refers to help, care and connections they received from family, friends and the community.
The percentage of older people with depression also shrank from 11.2% in 2018 to 8% last year.
Universiti Malaya demographer Dr Tey Nai Peng said Malaysia can draw lessons from countries with larger older populations while also reflecting on its own successful initiatives.
He said we can learn from Australia’s “ageing in place” policies, by strengthening our home-care and volunteer systems to support independence.
“We can also embrace technologies that support ageing in place.
“This includes expanding telehealth, monitoring with artificial intelligence, and smart home solutions to help seniors live independently, with family support,” Tey added.
On the coming Senior Citizens Bill, the ministry said it is now in the stage of gathering and refining input from various stakeholders to ensure the proposed law meets the diverse needs and interests of older Malaysians.
Asked if the Bill will mandate adult children to provide for their aged parents’ financial and physical needs as in countries like China and Singapore, the ministry said this is a subject of active debate among stakeholders.
“While mandating adult children’s responsibility for elderly parents may seem ideal, we must also consider challenges such as the sandwich generation’s burden, children’s socio-economic conditions, and cases of past abuse.
“The government is still reviewing this matter,” it said.
