58. There are no laws to protect the older persons when they become
incapacitated and if their wills which was communicated earlier were
not fulfilled by family members.
Access to healthcare services
59. The issue of long queues in public hospitals was reiterated alongside
the shortage of gerontologists and primary healthcare practitioners
in Malaysia. Due to the lack of resources in public hospitals, older
persons are sometimes forced to wait longer to access medical
services including obtaining prosthesis.
Insufficient funding for care centres
60. The small scale operators mostly have issues with their resources
including financial and trained human resource which impede their
ability to pursue licensing requirements. Operators see compliance
and licensing process as a tedious process shrouded with red-tape
as it requires clearance from multiple agencies. The majority of
operators are unlicensed or choose the least restrictive option even
though some nursing services are being provided.
61. The Social Welfare Department provides grant assistance for care
centres in the form of annual grant to cover the cost of meals and
maintenance of their premises. This step was taken to ensure that
care centres provide quality, safe and comfortable services to
residents. However, care centres must be registered under the Care
Centres Act 1993 to be eligible for the said grant.
62. Although the Government provides some funds for shelter homes,
the funding assistance and support are inconsistent across the
different providers (public, NGOs and private). It is based on grant
applied and does not necessarily reflect the quantum of care
provided. In addition, the current fees charged by private residential
care operators do not reflect the quality of care that residents receive.
The standard of care of service providers is affected by costs and the
market. At the same time, the staff of service providers may not share
the language of the older persons. It may create language barriers
between the staff and residents.
REPORT ON CARE SERVICES FOR OLDER PERSONS AND SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS
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