Mr Yang opened the session by welcoming the participants and highlighting the important role of PAWE Subang Jaya in supporting active, healthy, and meaningful ageing among older adults in the community. He shared that PAWE serves as a platform where seniors can continue to stay socially connected, physically active, mentally engaged, and emotionally supported.

He explained that PAWE Subang Jaya organises a range of activities designed to encourage seniors to participate, learn, and build friendships. These activities help older adults maintain their independence, confidence, and sense of belonging, while also reducing loneliness and social isolation. Through regular programmes, PAWE creates opportunities for seniors to remain involved in community life and continue contributing their experience and wisdom.

Dr Yau Weng Keong’s presentation, “Common Health Problem in Older Adults: What Families Should Know,” explains that older adults are a highly diverse group whose health needs become more complex with age, frailty, multiple chronic illnesses, reduced physiological reserve, and changing social support. A key concept is that even a minor illness in a frail older person can trigger a serious “cascade of deterioration,” leading to falls, immobility, delirium, incontinence, disability, institutionalisation, or death.

The presentation highlights the common “geriatric giants” or “I” problems in older adults, including immobility, instability and falls, impaired cognition, incontinence, iatrogenic problems, impaired hearing and vision, infection, malnutrition, isolation and depression, insomnia, and poverty. Dr Yau places particular emphasis on dementia, delirium, urinary incontinence, falls, polypharmacy, hospital-related complications, and the under-recognition of Alzheimer’s disease and late-life depression.

A major theme is that Malaysia is ageing rapidly, creating growing pressure on families, healthcare services, social care systems, and the economy. The presentation stresses that older adults often require integrated, person-centred, multidisciplinary care, rather than fragmented treatment by separate services. This includes coordinated input from doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, caregivers, and community services.

Dr Yau also discusses the importance of healthy, active, and successful ageing. Prevention should begin early and continue throughout life. Practical strategies include maintaining physical activity, eating a healthier diet, preventing falls, managing chronic diseases, keeping mentally and socially active, reducing stress, laughing more, sleeping well, and supporting emotional and cognitive health. The presentation repeatedly reinforces that it is “never too late” to improve health, resilience, and quality of life.

The future of geriatric medicine is presented as predictive, preventive, personalised, and participative, supported by technology, artificial intelligence, wearable monitoring, digital biomarkers, and better community-based care. However, Dr Yau also notes major challenges in Malaysia, including limited geriatric specialist resources, fragmented services, and the need to “connect the dots” between hospitals, primary care, community services, families, NGOs, and long-term care.

Overall, the key message is that healthy ageing is an investment, not a cost. Families, communities, healthcare providers, and policymakers must work together to help older adults live not only longer lives, but better lives — with dignity, independence, function, meaning, and quality of life.

Sharon Lee’s presentation, “Leaving a Legacy,” focuses on the importance of pre-planning funeral and bereavement arrangements at different stages of life. The main message is that pre-planning is not only about making practical arrangements in advance, but also about leaving behind a legacy of love, clarity, and peace for family members.

The presentation explains that when people do not pre-plan, their family members may be left to make urgent and emotional decisions during a very difficult time. This can lead to hasty choices, arguments, uncertainty, financial burden, stress, disputes over burial, cremation or ash scattering, strained relationships, and regrets. Families may also have to quickly decide on matters such as the obituary photo, religious service, burial or cremation, final resting place, farewell ceremony theme, and clothing for the deceased.

Sharon introduces bereavement care as a one-stop service that supports families through the practical procedures after a death, whether it occurs at home or in hospital. These services include reporting the death, obtaining the burial clearance permit, securing the release of remains, embalming, encoffinment, casket and urn arrangements, funeral parlour services, burial land, ash burial, sea burial, columbarium placement, ancestral tablets, and even pet farewell services.

A key theme of the presentation is that a funeral can be seen as a “graduation of life ceremony” and a meaningful farewell that reflects the person’s values, beliefs, and wishes. Pre-planning helps ensure that the farewell is personalised, dignified, and aligned with what the individual and family truly want.

The presentation also highlights Sharon’s role in providing professional, independent, and personalised service. Testimonials describe her as patient, responsive, thoughtful, and willing to go the extra mile, bringing calm, comfort, and reassurance to families during challenging moments.

Overall, the presentation encourages individuals and families to discuss and plan end-of-life arrangements early, so that loved ones are spared unnecessary confusion and stress. Pre-planning allows people to leave a legacy of love by giving their families direction, comfort, and peace of mind when it matters most.