IN my previous column, I discussed what’s called nursing-care tourism, which can develop into a strong niche-market product for the Philippines, as the overseas demand for such care is predicted to develop exponentially over time.
But do we always need to look abroad? How about our very own senior citizens in the Philippines? What is the status quo? What are the services available?
Seniors with special-care needs, especially those diagnosed with dementia, are usually taken care of at home, either by their families or caregivers. Filipino senior citizens also reside in health-care facilities.
You may think this is the exception, but the numbers tell us differently: In 2005 we had 169,000 documented dementia cases. This number is forecast to reach 316,000 by 2020 and 1.20 million by 2050.
This shows that we do not only need to provide nursing care for foreigners, but also for the local population. You can argue that it is embedded in Philippine culture to take care of the elderly at home. I will not disagree.
But there are some serious questions that need to be asked about Philippine culture and Filipino families. Is the growing number of condominium owners, combined with urbanization, part of Philippine culture? Are the 10 million Filipinos living overseas, who are naturally away from their families, part of Philippine culture?
No, they’re not. Industrialization, urbanization, higher workloads, looser family ties and a more self-centric approach are already changing the way we take care of our senior citizens. In the next 10 to 15 years, this trend is expected to continue. This is exactly what happened in First World countries. This change is slowly gaining ground in countries like the Philippines.
So, are nursing homes the answer? It depends. Nursing homes are not a solution, but rather an option for families that need assistance in caring for their loved ones. Confined within the care of family members is not enough when dealing with individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Another option can be day-care centers for senior citizens and home-care services. These are already in other countries in Southeast Asia. It might come as a surprise, but, after the initial apprehension, these services have been proven to be more valued by senior citizens and their families, even here in the country.
Nursing-care providers are professionally educated and psychologically trained to manage long-term care.
The country’s first senior residence opened in Metro Manila in 2007, with six beds. Since 2011 there has been a 500-percent increase in such a facility. Today the Philippines has more than 200 private beds in 15 facilities throughout Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Laguna and Tagaytay.
So far, data obtained by the Retirement & Healthcare Coalition have highlighted a surprising trend: a local and foreign residency mix, with Filipinos at 80 percent and foreigners at 20 percent.
It is also important to note that the Philippine government has identified the importance of support for its aging population and passed Republic Act (RA) 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, in February 2010. This law amended RA 9257, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003, which, in turn, amended RA 7432, or the Senior Citizens Act of 1993. Abstracts of the content are:
n To recognize the rights of senior citizens to take their proper place in society and make it a concern of the family, community and government.
n To give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of the elderly and their full participation in society, considering that senior citizens are an integral part of Philippine society.
n To encourage their families and the communities they live with to reaffirm the valued Filipino tradition of caring for senior citizens.
n To recognize the important role of the private sector in the improvement of the welfare of senior citizens.
Senior-citizen residences are complementing RA 9994 and addressing the lack of geriatric care in the country, benefiting local and foreign senior citizens, and creating urgently needed jobs in the health-care industry.
Is the Philippines ready for this development? Yes and no. We need to do our homework when it comes to quality-management systems for senior residences and the development of a proper geriatric curriculum for nurses and caregivers.
However, not only do we need to work on direct services and knowledge for these residences, but we also need to search for acceptance of these facilities.
For example, it surprised me very much when I found out that it’s close to impossible for senior citizens with special-care needs to take their proper place in society and ensure their participation in the community. Why? Because homeowners’ associations (HOAs) are not allowing senior residences inside their neighborhood.
Based on my own experience and that of nursing homes under the Philippine Healthcare Initiative, HOAs will simply not accept senior residences within their boundaries. Most of them would not provide a reason for it or state that they are a “solely residential community.”
On one hand, Filipinos have a culture that values senior citizens, but, on the other, they do not wish to have residential facilities for seniors within their vicinity. Most of those living in Filipino senior residences have lived their entire life in gated communities and are not allowed to do so any more the moment they receive care outside their home. I believe that Filipino senior citizens should be given the option of retiring in gated communities, even if they are living in senior residences.
There is a lot of work to be done to open minds and change the perception of Filipinos, especially HOAs, on how a nursing home or home for senior citizens can provide a lot of benefits to families.
It needs to be understood that senior residences are not forcing to change the way we take care of our senior citizens, but, rather, are providing a necessary option for graceful aging. We are living in an entirely different world right now, and lifestyle changes are necessary.
A model needs to be developed that shows that senior residences will not disturb subdivisions. Nursing homes will provide a healthy community and lifestyle, as well as health care, for its own senior citizens.
E-mail: marc@rhc.com.ph.
Image credits: Chuck Escasa