KUALA LUMPUR: Former Mediacorp actress Apple Hong recently opened up about the difficult decision she had to make after her father was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020.
The Straits Times reported that the 45-year-old Malaysian-born actress shared her experience dealing with her late father's ill health at an Alexandra Hospital Care Day event in Queenstown, Singapore on Oct 5.
Hong's father died in August 2023 at 76.
She said that her family had little knowledge of the disease.
Parkinson's disease is an age-related degenerative brain condition that can cause slowed movements, tremors, and balance problems.
She said the outbreak of Covid-19 kept him indoors and led to his swift deterioration.
He then suffered a fall, which further worsened his condition.
Hong, who married her Singaporean businessman husband in 2017 became a Singapore citizen in 2022.
Her father lived in KL, and travel restrictions during the pandemic meant she could not visit him.
After his fall, he was confined to a wheelchair.
That was when Hong suggested to her elder brother to send their father to a care facility.
Hong said: "I thought it made more sense to send him to a nursing home because there are trained medical professionals there and other elderly patients my father could interact with.
"But my brother was against it at first because it seemed like an unfilial thing to do. I struggled with those feelings too, but in the end, we decided to send him to the home."
Hong said she understands why some people feel conflicted about sending their parents to nursing homes and are afraid of being seen as unfilial.
However, her family decided to make sure her father could receive quality care and professional medical help.
"My brother needs to work, my aunt is old and I'm in Singapore.
"Hiring a helper might not be the best solution," she said.
Their family situation worsened when her mother became paralysed due to a blood clot in the brain.
Eventually, both parents were sent to a nursing home, although her mother has now been discharged and is living with her brother in KL, with a maid helping to take care of her.
"Making decisions like these means you will often end up in situations where you have different opinions from your family members," she said.
"The most important thing is to discuss matters peacefully and to maintain the bonds you have with your family."
Hong, who has starred in series such as The Little Nyonya (2008) and Joys Of Life (2012), is now also a content creator who does live-stream sales on TikTok.