Turn to Malaysia to ease nursing-home bed shortage

To meet the shortage of nursing-home beds, we could turn to Malaysia ("Nursing needs"; Oct 6).

My mother, who is in her 90s, has been staying at the Econ Nursing Home in Johor Baru for the past two years.

The nursing home is owned and managed by the Econ Healthcare Group in Singapore.

My mother is in an open ward, with sections for eight beds. The residents are happy, as they see and look out for one another and have conversations too. They also interact during exercise and game time.

As residents tend to stay there for a long time, their family members get to know one another and will share tidbits and drinks, just like in the kampung days.

The staff are mostly Malaysians. Since we have a shared cultural background, communication is easier and the food is similar. The staff turnover is also low, so the nursing staff know the residents better.

The cost is less than $1,300 a month, and the attention and care are even better than what is provided in many nursing homes in Singapore.

Thus, we should consider options in Malaysia to meet the nursing-home bed shortage in Singapore.

Hong Keah Huat

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