Premraj (right) with Masoc Care’s senior care ambassador Victor Ku at a Senior Care Awareness event in March. — Masoc Care
“You're so young, why are you in the senior care industry?”
Many adults ask me this very question, as I am often the youngest participant or committee member at senior care-related events, seminars, and workshops organised by Masoc Care in my area.
It is not hard to identify a young face in a crowd of wrinkled faces, and it is made even easier when the young face is the person on stage. Usually, only those who are close to the age of retirement or those requiring senior care will come to such events to learn; youths who can pursue a meaningful, profitable and impactful career in senior care are rarely present.
This is because of stereotypes that are so ingrained within Malaysian culture – senior care is shrouded in a host of negative stereotypes that youth often stay away.
Even parents, in their concern for their children’s future, often say that the senior care industry is not a good future job prospect.
Children, my peers, who are influenced by their parents’ decisions often develop a prejudice towards the industry, so on goes the cycle passed down from one generation to the next.
This forms a mental block among individuals moving into the future.
So, back to the question: “Why am I in the senior care industry?”
I am 17 years old and I decided to give something new a chance – after all, if you never try, you’d never know.I was willing to “venture into the unknown” following the likes of famous people such as Jack Ma, who was deemed crazy for wanting to create an online shopping platform back in the 1980s. In a generation where computers were scarce, online shopping would be the least sensible thing to pursue. However, he saw into the future, 30 years later to be precise. Today, the name Jack Ma is known worldwide with a net worth of US$40bil to his name.
Following role models who broke the mould, I too wanted to pursue a career in an industry that is out of the ordinary for most people my age. I wanted to choose the road less travelled.
This point would be made stronger with easy-to-access statistics and megatrends of the senior care industry.
I wanted to become a doctor. Now, I want to become not just a doctor, but a doctor that improves the lives of our ageing loved ones here in Malaysia. I want to become a geriatrician: Indeed, a road less travelled, with fewer than 20 qualified geriatricians here at Malaysia.
But it is a road that must be travelled, especially as I ponder on the lives of not only the seniors in Malaysia, but my own ageing loved ones.
In Malaysia, senior care is already in high demand both for locals as well as people from abroad looking to spend their retirement years here. It will be up to us to fill the gap when it comes to senior care. For youth who venture into this industry, it will be rewarding, meaningful and have a lasting impact.
Teaching children to care for, and empower, seniors is not only an important life lesson but a way to prepare for our rapidly ageing population. — 123rf.com
My involvement in Masoc Care has allowed me to be prepared for the unforeseen future.
Many family caregivers are not mentally and physically prepared to carry the heavy caregiving burden. With a comprehensive senior care industry in place, we can learn the correct methods and techniques to give care to loved ones so that we do not injure ourselves or our loved ones in the process. Take body mechanics as an example. Most people do not know the right posture to adopt when lifting or moving our elderly loved one. This could lead to carers hurting themselves.
The senior care industry is also one of the rare fields that allow one to take care of their career and their family concurrently, while also creating meaningful impact. It has allowed me to make a living while being able to put smiles on many Malaysians. So, I would advise youths to really consider taking the road less travelled. The senior care industry is a path that does not only provide job opportunities but also ensures a brighter future for Malaysian families.
Premraj Singh is a project support executive at Masoc Care and participates in running public seminars and workshops on senior care in Negri Sembilan. Masoc Care is an NGO that empowers youth to be involved and engaged in senior care.
