Old folks' homes are full

SHAH ALAM - Admissions for senior citizens into care centres is on high demand where some had to be put on the waiting list.

Bait Al-Mawaddah Elderly Care Centre head Siti Norkhayati Rabani said this was not only happening at her facility but also at other centres in the Klang Valley.

“We have a total of 44 residents. Initially we could care for 52 people but four rooms had to be converted into an isolation room that is used for quarantine.

“We are at a maximum capacity and many are still on the waiting list. We are forced to freeze any new intakes until there is more space for now.

“The applicants would also need to fulfil certain requirements and among them include being 60 years old and above, fakir miskin (poor) and those who have no place to go and can manage themselves.

“Many of these applicants still have children.

“Sometimes when there are those who do not qualify, we try to refer them to other places but most of them are just as full,” she said.

New admissions, she said, could only be accepted if there were vacancies in the care centre.

“Those on the waiting list could only enter if there is a vacancy. For example, if the existing residents were taken home by their family members or have died,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mahmudah Malaysia Care Centre chairman Ruslan Saidin, 53, said the trend of senior citizens entering care centres has been going on for a long time since before the Covid-19 pandemic

“Actually, many had applied to enter the centre but we were unable to accept the application mainly because we do not accept those with heirs,” he said.

Al-Ikhlas Care Centre and Nursing Home manager Mohd Arif Abdullah Azman, 36, said the centre has been receiving calls from people requesting for a spot at the centre, everyday.

“We have to constantly update the waiting list as there would be people calling to apply for admission here, everyday,” he said.

Al-Fikrah Care Centre chairperson Nurul Atikah Mohd Azmi, 33, said although the centre received many applications, they could not accept residents who suffer from critical health problems.

“If the resident is in a critical condition that they need a feeding tube, we do not have the expertise,” she said.