LETTERS: In line with World Senior Citizen's Day on Aug 21, we need to ask ourselves about the state of our senior citizens, especially in which areas we can improve their lives.
A meaningful move will include recognising and rewarding their contributions to society.
One commonly highlighted need is ensuring pension coverage is adequate for seniors.
There is a need to expand pension schemes to cover informal workers and introduce more robust social pensions for those without sufficient Employee Provident Fund savings.
There is also growing demand for long-term care services, but the availability of high quality, affordable nursing homes and elder care services is limited.
The government could invest in more state-supported long-term care facilities, train more healthcare workers specialised
in geriatric care and provide financial incentives to families caring for elderly members at home.
Senior citizens also struggle in terms of their mobility, which is not helped when many public spaces, transportation systems and buildings are not fully accessible or mobility-friendly to them.
In this regard, we need to be better at carrying out urban planning by ensuring that public transport and buildings are elderly-friendly.
Increasing the number of elderly-friendly recreational areas could also improve the quality of life for seniors.
As healthcare facilities and specialists are limited, particularly in rural areas, perhaps there should be a move to increase the number of geriatric specialists and the expansion of telemedi-cine services could bridge the gap.
Social isolation and increasing mental health issues are of significant concern among the elderly, particularly among those who live alone or are margi-nalised.
This can partly be addressed through community-based programmes that encourage social interaction, providing mental health services for seniors, and promoting intergenerational activities to prevent loneliness and depression among the elderly.
Many seniors also lack financial literacy, which can lead to poor management of their retirement savings and increased vulnerability to scams.
This should be addressed though financial education programmes plus free financial counselling to protect their financial wellbeing.
Elder abuse, including financial exploitation, physical abuse, and neglect, remains an underreported problem.
There is a need, therefore, to strengthen legal frameworks, increase public awareness campaigns, and provide more support services for seniors.
We must promote a positive attitude towards ageing. More campaigns to educate the public about ageing, encouraging respect and empathy for the elderly, and promoting active ageing can contribute to a more inclusive society.
Thus, a more cohesive and comprehensive national policy for ageing is needed. It should integrate healthcare, housing, social protection and a legal framework to ensure a more coordinated approach to addressing the needs of senior citizens.
I propose that the government provide RM1,000 a month to senior citizens who are not pensionable, once they reach 70.
K.T. MARAN
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times