NEW IDEA TO IMPROVE OLD FOLKS HOME

Do you ever hear that a mother can take care ten of her children while the ten children are unable to look after their only mother? So, where these irresponsible children put their parent? Old folk home is the most common place for the children to leave their responsibilities. Different people have different opinion about this situation. Although some of the public think positively but majority of them still have negative perception about the children that send their parent to old folk home. In order to change the negative perception among the public, everyone including government, non government organization (NGO) and community have to cooperate.

Children whose send their parent to old folk home always being labeled as ‘unfaithful child’. This is because their action is negatively judge by the public without knowing the truth situation behind it. As we all known, children nowadays are busy with their career. They do not have enough time to spend with their parent and to fulfill their responsibilities as a child. This can be seen obviously at the big city and usually happen among the children that already have their own family. Actually, they have their own rational reason to send their parent to old folk home. They do that because they want to make sure their parent not neglected. Rationally, when parent live in old folk home their health, necessity and so on will be taking care better compare to they live at the children’s house.

People see that the old folk home are a very miserable, bored and uncomfortable place to go. This negative perception causes the old folks to feel that their children are ignoring them. Besides, these situations cause children do not want to visit their parent. This problem can be overcome by improving the system of the old folk home. Here are some suggestions to renew the system of old folk home. First, we must make the old folk home as a day care centre, which is children are allows to send their parent to old folk home only during office hour. This can maintain the harmony relationship not only between parents and children, but also grandchildren.

Next, we introduce a new system call the ‘resident system’. Government should provide specific land, usually at rural area to build a resident just for old folks. In this resident we should build houses where husband and wife will be placed in a house while for single parent; they will live with their friends. Children will be easier to visit their parent if we use this system. Furthermore, the old folks will be more comfortable compare to living at the hostel.

Moreover, health care is one of the most important aspects that we must consider when we manage an old folk home. As usual, in old folk home there must be doctors, nurses, physiotherapy and counselors to manage the health of the old folks. The present of both doctors and nurses will help to take care of the old folk’s health. As we all known, most of them suffering for many kind of diseases, for instance diabetes, heart attack, stock, cancer and high blood pressure. Base on emotional health, counselors are the important person to help the old folks to control their emotions. It is because they feel lonely and need friend to talk to. Counselor not only a good listener but also good in giving advices.

Besides that, administrations are encouraged to make new rules in order to provide first class services to the old folks. The rules that suggested are; every festival like Aidilfitri, Aidiladha, Depavali, and Chinese New Year, children have to take their parent home, so that they can celebrate those festivals together. Then, the children should visit their parent at least once a week to make sure their parent not feel ignore and lonely.

In addition, the name of the ‘old folk home’ should be change to special name like ‘Titian Damai’, ‘Loving Home’ and others. These kinds of names can make the old folks not feel that they are staying at old folk home and at the same time they will be fell happier and enjoy their life fully there.

In a nutshell, old folk home is not something miserable but enjoyable if the right improvement being done to it. The children should make the right decision before sending their parent to old folk home, so that either parent or children will feel comfortable. If all of the new systems that suggests above being adapted, all of the negative perception towards the old folk home can be eliminated.


WRITTEN by:
NUR FASIHAH BT KAMARUDIN & SITI FATIMAH BT MOHAMAD YUSOP