Fu (left) with Pn Hafsah and Mrs Lim, who often share their harvest of fruit and plants with their neighbours. - LILY FU
Where would you see yourself living in your old age?
Pose this question to a senior citizen. Almost invariably the answer is “at home”. As a senior citizen myself, and speaking on behalf of those in my senior community, of course, we would love to spend our retirement years in one of the upmarket senior living resorts that have sprung up in recent years to cater to the growing ageing population.
The oohs and aahs each time we visit one of these establishments! How we would love to spend our golden years in comfort and have everything done for us – meals, laundry, housekeeping, with access to facilities like karaoke, theatre, gym and pool. And for those who need a little more care or pampering – healthcare and wellness services are available.
But we know that is wishful thinking. Few can afford the RM5,000-RM8,000 monthly fees to enjoy the perks of living in a Club Med style retirement home. It’s a question of affordability, not availability.
There is at least half a dozen such five-star senior residences open for long-term stay. But the take-up has been slow so far.
Given ageing at home as the overwhelming choice, perhaps it’s time we looked at how we can make this option viable and safe for our seniors.
Aside from installing age-friendly facilities in the home, such as easy accessibility, adequate lighting, hand rails, grab bars and non-slip flooring, we also need to provide care and security for elderly residents who choose to live their remaining years in the comfort and familiarity of their own home.
What I am proposing is a new model for community living in urban townships. We need to transplant the kampung spirit in our cities and towns. Today we have the sad situation of neighbours living within the same block of apartments, sharing the same premises for years, yet not know one another.
They are total strangers – no names, no smiles or greetings when their paths cross in the common areas.
The two years of living under Covid SOP restrictions has shown that we need to support one another to get through difficult times.
That’s why reviving the community spirit is so crucial – not just for the elderly but also for all residents regardless of age. When there is an emergency, neighbours are ready to assist.
We need to build that communal environment to support ageing in place.
This would require a new and expanded role for the Residents’ Management Committee (RMC). I have always felt the RMCs should play a much bigger role beyond collecting maintenance fees and supervising the common areas.
Let me take where I live as an example. I moved in when the housing project was completed in 1990. Having lived there for 34 years, and having observed the interaction (or lack of) among the residents, I am convinced it is time for a new model of residential living.
But first, some changes are necessary. Here are some of my proposals:
Start a residents’ service directory
The management office already has all the files. Just add on other info e.g. residents’ field of expertise, work experience, services they can provide e.g. child/elder care, food catering, home tuition.
The RMC can promote this to the residents who can then decide whether they want to be included in this directory or not. It’s on a voluntary basis.
This directory will come in useful to link residents who require certain services with residents who have such services to offer, whether on a gratis basis or as a source of income.
No more anxiety about whether your elderly parent is safe alone at home knowing that a neighbour is helping to look after him.
Consider the convenience of home repair services just doors away, or meals, personal grooming, tailoring as well as physiotherapy delivered at your door-step.
Getting a ride from a neighbour is just a call or a few doors away, inviting some of them over for mahjong or bridge, or sharing some food, watching a football match together on TV or a movie on Netflix. More fun than watching it alone.
The acts of communal living are endless. Not all neighbours are friendly but once we get to know them better, they may turn out to be really nice people.
Community space
The multi-function rooms or community hall could be used for cooking demonstrations, health talks or workshops. I recall years ago we celebrated festivals e.g. Hari Raya, Mooncake festival, Deepavali in the common areas.
Neighbours brought their home-cooked dishes for the pot-luck dinner. The children had a great time running around while their parents chatted. I miss those get-togethers.
They tapered off when the RMC underwent changes over the years with each new committee. The reason given was always lack of funds. I am more inclined to think it was lack of initiative as pot-luck meals do not involve any cost to the RMC.
A community garden
My taman doesn’t have a community garden but those on the ground floor have a small patch that many have converted into a fruit/veg/herbal garden. I love the neighbourly spirit of some of the residents.
One good example is Puan Hafsah who lovingly tends to her herbal and spice garden daily. There is also Mrs Lim who prefers to plant flowers and vegetables.
She has several varieties of orchids in her corner lot garden. Both are happy to share their herbs and veggies with anyone who asks. In the common areas the gardeners hired by the management have planted moringa, tapioca, aloe vera, lemon grass, chilli padi and more.
Residents can help themselves to these.
Activities and services
When the kampung spirit is there, it’s easy to organise early morning walks or exercises e.g. tai chi, led by a volunteer resident. Every morning some of my neighbours go brisk walking or slow jogging around the gated premises.
We greet one another with a smile and “Selamat Pagi”. As there are nine blocks of apartments, going three to four rounds within the compound is sufficient for a good workout.
In my taman, we may not have a pool, but we have a small convenience store that serves the residents with basic essentials, including cooking gas.
There is also a small shelter for short-term stay for cats when their owners are away. A section is partitioned off as a sick bay to isolate the sick ones.
The management office staff helps to look after the cats. There is an outdoor gym and a children’s playground. I love to sit at my balcony in the evenings and watch the boys come out to play football or rounders, while the little children enjoy themselves at the playground with their mothers keeping a watchful eye on them.
It is an opportunity for the mothers to socialise with other parents. There used to be a library/reading room where the children could go to read or do their homework.
I hope the recently elected committee will revive this.
Such a concept can be easily implemented and supported by social media platforms like Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp. Getting all residents to come on board in a WhatsApp chat group would help to foster a community spirit. Really, there’s no excuse for not trying out this model.
When residents see the benefits, more will come on board to offer their services and earn some income. The seniors themselves must stay active and in good health, so they can remain independent and mobile for as long as possible.
Only then can they opt for ageing-in-place. Otherwise, the only option is to move to an aged care facility or a nursing home.
With Malaysia’s population moving towards aged nation status by 2030, and with the number of older adults living alone rising, reviving the kampung spirit makes a lot of sense.
I hope more residents’ management committees will take up this model of community living. It can be easily adopted in condos, apartment blocks, PPR flats and housing gardens. There is nothing to lose but so much to gain when neighbours come together in the kampung spirit of cooperation or gotong royong.
Lily Fu is a gerontologist who advocates for seniors. She is founder of SeniorsAloud, an online platform for seniors to get connected and enjoy social activities for ageing well.
