What diseases do doctors fear most for themselves? I posed this question to my mom’s cardiologist at his clinic last week. Without hesitation he said “Stroke and dementia.” I don’t have direct experience taking care of a stroke patient. But caring for my mother who has dementia has given me a first-hand look at what […]
BABY BOOMERS = THE ALZHEIMER GENERATION Read More »
I am always on the lookout for inspiring role models among older adults. The six men and women listed below represent an increasing number of senior citizens who are rediscovering the joie de vivre as they advance into their golden years. At 98, Briton Fauja Singh is probably the world’s oldest marathon runner. He completed
AGE-DEFYING ROLE MODELS Read More »
Six-time Mr Asia Datuk Abdul Malek Noor, 54, suffered a heart attack last Wednesday while participating in a charity football match in Ipoh. There was speculation that the durian he consumed before the match could have triggered off the heart attack. The man himself denied that the fruit had anything to do with his clogged
TAKE HEED, DURIAN LOVERS Read More »
(The article below is contributed by Linda Toh, who writes about her recent reunion with her former classmates of Convent JB.) This year is a very significant year for the convent girls from Johor Baru who left school in 1964 after completing their Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE). Significant because they will be celebrating their
My elder daughter in Singapore emailed me the link to the Silver Pages website, launched last month by the Ministry of Health’s Agency For Integrated Care (AIC). It’s exactly what I’ve been searching for ever since I turned primary caregiver for my mother. She has dementia and is also recovering from hip surgery. Sure, there are plenty
ONLINE HELP FOR CAREGIVERS Read More »
Back in the early 1980s a close friend of mine bought over an old Milo van and converted it into a hot-dog and burger mobile business venture. It was probably the first meals-on-wheels in the country. I’m not sure whether it was the novelty that attracted customers wherever it went, or the friendly service, but
HOME SERVICES FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Read More »
I’m glad I decided to go ahead with my plan to attend the just-concluded Asia Pacific Conference on Ageing organized by the Gerontological Society of Singapore in conjunction with its 25th anniversary celebrations. Given my mother’s condition, I was particularly interested in the presentations on dementia and caregiving of the elderly with dementia. I picked up
DEMENTIA – ARE WE AT RISK? Read More »
My mother was discharged on Monday evening 21 March. The final bill for 15 days of hospitalization, angioplasty and bipolar hemiarthoplasty came to RM45,532.90. There’s still weeks if not months of follow-up medical examinations and physiotherapy, not to mention a supply of expensive pills for the rest of her life. By no means is the
IT TAKES THE WHOLE FAMILY Read More »
Here’s another personal encounter with age discrimination. Early this month I heard that UniSIM was offering a Master of Gerontology course commencing this July. It was the first university in Singapore to do so. I was excited as for the past two years I had been looking for just such a course of study. A
NO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR RETIREES Read More »
My mother hasn’t been discharged yet, but every few days, the hospital would contact me and request for a RM8000 top-up. So far, the cost of her 12-day hospitalization, angioplasty and hip surgery has exceeded RM31,000. She has at least another 4-5 days to go before she can go home. I dread to receive the
ENCOUNTERING AGE DISCRIMINATION AT THE BANK Read More »
