KUALA LUMPUR: Less than a decade before Malaysia is projected to become an ageing nation, the Social Welfare Department has spent a total of RM831,419,415 to help the elderly last year.
The department told the New Straits Times that it helped 140,447 senior citizens by giving them a monthly assistance of RM500.
"Not all of these senior citizens are living alone. They may live with their husbands, wives or children, or even relatives, but these families are unable to meet their needs," it said.
"This assistance is provided so that the elderly can live with their family or community,"
It added that should they be living alone, the department had the Home Help Services Programme — a social support service where volunteers would go to their homes to provide help, such as clean their houses, buy essential items and accompany them to the bank or hospital.
"Last year, 6,950 elderly people received this service," it said, adding that some of them were placed in elderly care centres run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or private companies as an alternative.
Last year, the department said, of the 1,187 elderly admitted to their welfare homes, 187 were living alone.
The department said prior to being admitted, they were either in a weak and deficient state, left by a family member at the bus stop, loitering on the streets or were asking for donations from the public.
"Admission to welfare homes is considered as the last step."
