Color up my life!

Physical activities / rehabilitation program with music and Swiss ball.

Last month alone, there were total of 5 days which I visited my aunt in a hospital with nursing facilities in Alor Setar and my friend's father at an old folks home in Kepong. 

What I witnessed in a short span of a month really shook me up!

It's about the aged and forgotten - the old folks - our dear mother, father and beloved ones.

The old folks home that I visited housed 24 seniors in their golden years. The hospital that I visited housed 30 seniors at one floor with most of them diagnosed with Parkinson disease or stroke wwho need professional nurses to take care of. 

Seeing all seniors, either sick or healthy under one roof can make a person very depressed. 

I was depressed. I felt sad. I was getting emotional.

They were once as young as us, as strong as us, as healthy as us, as capable as us, as smart as us, as fast as us, as fit as us.

But due to the natural ageing process, now they are in their winter years, burning their life candles keeping it well lit to their very last breath.

I believe every family has their own reasons for placing their loved ones in the care of professionals. Sometimes, it's better to be taken care by professionals for their own comfort and health. So it's rather situational depending on individual's unique situations.

What saddens me most is that some of them are not visited by their children, family members or loved ones often enough. Even if there is a visit, it's usually once in a blue moon only. This makes the senior citizens / old folks living in such places feel even more lonely, isolated and unwanted. Some of them feel abandoned, just counting their numbered days.

Encouraging news is that there are also many children and loved ones visit the old folks in such facilities, bring love and care to them. This is absolutely uplifting and warm!

Eating lunch alone in the common living hall...

on wheel-chair - back to own room which is shared with few others. She seems lonely.

Most of them have Parkinson Disease or strokes limiting their mobilility. Therefore, wheelchair-bound. Sad...

Awareness Campaign: Color Up My Life!

I am writing this article to raise awareness about the old people - the forgotten generation.

We will all reach that stage one day sooner that we think, whereby we might be wheel-chair dependent, or bed-ridden, or not so mobile. 

While we are still young and capable, shouldn't we do something for the old folks, especially our own parents, as much as we can?

Shouldn't we color up their lives to show our love and care for them and to recognise their contribution to the society, to the growth of the country, to the expansion of our family? 

Start from us: Color up our parents' lives

Awareness campaign for the old and sick? the idea is still in the back of my mind. Not sure how to do it yet. :) 

As a start, perhaps we all can start from our own homes.... our own parents.

I saw the below wall papers on the 3rd floor of Putra Medical Center, Alor Setar which I have found to be very meaningful. If we could internalize the message and continue to apply to our own parents, that will definitely be an awesome start to color up their lives!!! 👍😊

when our parents are old, please be patient to them and show them more encouragement

Please hold their hands tight and accompany them to walk slowly...

Since the message is in Chinese, I would like to translate to English for the benefit of all.

The Message

"Sons and daughters, when I am old, please be more patient with me and please show more encouragement to me."

When you were small...

They used a lot of time to teach you how to use fork, spoon and chopsticks to eat...

They taught you how to wear your clothes, tie your shoe laces, and button up your shirts...

They taught you how to wash your face, how to comb your hair...

They taught you the philosophy of life...

Did you remember you used to force them to tell you how you were born?

Therefore...

Therefore, when they are old...

When they repeatedly nag and nag or tell you same old stories all over again...

When they can't recall or they are unable to answer you quickly...

Please do not blame them...

When they have forgotten how to tie their shoe laces or button up their shirts...

When they accidentally dirty their clothes while eating...

When their hands start to shiver while combing their hair...

Please do not rush them... because you are growing up and they are growing old...

When you are with them...

They feel comforted and and loved...

When the day comes that they can no longer stand or walk properly...

Please hold their hands tight and accompany them to walk slowly...

Just like how they used to hold your hands tight.

What's next

Hey friends, is it hard to do? Not really if we put our hearts to it. Afterall, they are our parents. One day we will be like them when we grow old. :) 

I strongly believe all of us can surely be more patient and show encouragement to our parents. 

I also strongly believe all of us can surely be able to hold their hands tightly with love and care.

I also noticed the old folks home that I visited in Kepong doesn't provide any physical activities or programs for the 24 residents - like what I have witnessed in Putra Medal Center in Alor Setar.

Since this blog is about sports-inspired simple, healthy, positive living, I'm also starting to think about ideas on how I can bring forth such sports activities or rehabilitation programs to those in need in old folks homes. I think it might be good for their physical well beings.

I will share witth all when my ideas have firmed up one day.  And if you have any other ideas to share, I would very much love to hear from you. Thank you in advance.

Let's color up the seniors' lives - starting from our own parents! 💖💖💖

Note: 

There is a reason why I used photoediting app to put more colors to the pictures I took with my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I don't want to depict the old folks as depressed, hopeless people. I would want to spice up their daily lives - even the photos - making them more vibrant, lively! :)

Written by Vincent Khor on 5 April, 2017.