Every October 1, the world observes the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. The 2026 theme, The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives, is not merely a global demographic response but an urgent question posed to Sabahs eldercare and healthcare systems. In an opinion piece, Chow Tak Pin, an elderly care manager with 16 years of experience in Sabah, argues that longevity should not merely mean the extension of life, but the continuation of health, dignity, and self-worth.
The Empty Nest Phenomenon
Chow points out that Sabah stands at a crossroads of an aging society. In recent years, local youth have migrated from small towns and rural areas to major cities and even overseas in search of broader opportunities. This demographic shift has created a widespread social phenomenon: in areas like Penampang, Tuaran, Keningau, Tenom, and even remote Kudat, the number of empty-nest elderly left behind has risen sharply.
When elderly living alone becomes the norm, it brings helplessness during sudden illness, a lack of daily care, and psychological loneliness due to prolonged social isolation, which increases the risk of cognitive decline. The traditional family-based eldercare model is being gradually weakened by reality, Chow warns, and systemic change must be proactively sought.
Medical-Care Integration as the Solution
Chow believes the key to addressing the longevity era lies in medical-care integration. In the past, medical institutions and nursing homes often operated independently: when the elderly fell ill, they had to make frequent trips between hospitals and their residences, causing not only physical suffering but also placing heavy caregiving and financial burdens on families.
In 2016, Chow founded Comfort Aged Care Centre, and subsequently established Kanaan Home and the Labuan Nursing Home, precisely to practice in Sabah the integration of professional medical management with warm community-based home care. By embedding health monitoring, chronic disease management, and daily rehabilitation into the living environment of the elderly, a truly worry-free harbor for Sabahs seniors can be created, he explains.
Dementia: A Battle for All of Society
Among all geriatric health issues, cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimers disease undoubtedly require the most comprehensive societal safety net. As former president of the Sabah Alzheimers Support Association, Chow has witnessed countless families feeling lost and helpless when facing memory loss and behavioral abnormalities in their elderly loved ones.
In local communities, due to insufficient public awareness of dementia, many elderly individuals in the early stages of the disease are often mistakenly dismissed as simply being senile, and some are even marginalized due to social prejudice. For years, Chow has actively promoted dementia awareness campaigns in Sabah, holding continuous public education lectures. We must reconstruct Sabahs social support system, eliminate discrimination and stigma, and build dementia-friendly networks in communities, schools, and workplaces, so that every affected elder can receive acceptance and dignified care in a familiar environment.
Combating Ageism and Redefining Elder Value
Beyond improving medical and care systems, rethinking the longevity era requires us to completely eliminate age-related stereotypes, known as Ageism. The elderly are by no means a burden on society; they are the torchbearers of culture and wisdom.
On Sabah, a land rich in diverse ethnic groups and cultural heritage, elders carry traditional crafts, ethnic histories, and precious folk wisdom. We need to reconstruct community living models, encourage healthy aging and active aging, and build intergenerational communication bridges that allow younger generations and elders to walk side by side in cultural heritage. This not only reshapes the elderlys sense of social value and pride but also injects continuous vitality into Sabahs cultural ecosystem.
A Call to Action
Sabahs tomorrow depends on the systemic reconstruction we undertake for our elders today. On this International Day of Older Persons, Chow calls on Sabahs policymakers, medical professionals, non-governmental organizations, and every ordinary family to join hands. Let us embrace the longevity era with an inclusive mindset, upgrade eldercare systems with scientific professionalism, and ensure that every elder in this Land Below the Wind enjoys the dignity, health, and care they deserve. Reconstructing the system and caring for the elderly begins now, for a better future.