Supporting Adults with Diverse Disabilities for Dignified Living
One major concern for parents of children with disabilities is the uncertainty of their child’s
future after their death, particularly for those with high support needs. In Malaysia, there is a
growing awareness of this issue, but national support mechanisms are still lacking, placing
much responsibility on parents, family support networks, and civil society organizations
(CSOs).
Children with disabilities typically navigate five key stages in life, each presenting unique
challenges. The first stage involves parents recognizing developmental concerns and seeking
diagnosis and therapeutic support. The second stage occurs during preschool, for
development of school readiness and communication skills. The third stage involves formal
schooling, ideally in an inclusive environment where the child learns together with peers. The
fourth stage presents the challenging transition to university, vocational training, or
employment training.
Difficult as all these stages are, the fifth stage is the hardest to face, especially for families of
PwDs with high support needs who require life-long care. Outcomes for PwDs vary widely.
Some gain functional skills with ongoing training and therapy, achieving full inclusion into
society. Others may acquire the ability for independent living and be fully employed in the
marketplace but struggle to attain a meaningful social and community life. Yet others require
sheltered employment and assisted living. Finally, some require life-long support for everyday
daily living tasks.
These last two groups of PwDs are the ones that need the most support. They keep their
parents awake at night wondering and asking themselves repeatedly: “What will happen to my
child when I am gone?”
Painful Question with No Easy Answers
There are no easy answers to this painful question. Government, private and NGO-run
facilities for long-term residential care of PWDs who require life-long support are few and often
limited in quality. Not all parents have the financial resources to secure their child’s future. Not
all families have relatives willing or able to shoulder this responsibility when parents die.
While it is necessary for parents and families to plan ahead to ensure their child’s needs and
wishes are met, they cannot do this alone. A strong support system — both from the
community and the government — is essential. For many families, preparing for the future of
a disabled child is not only overwhelming but deeply emotional, made even harder by the
uncertainty of available resources and care.
Current Options for Families
Family caregiving – Often, siblings or relatives take on the caregiving role. However, this
should be a voluntary choice supported by community resources, therapists, social
workers, NGOs, and government financial aid.
Residential care facilities – Although an option, they are often not ideal. Private facilities
are costly and may lack proper maintenance, while government-run facilities, such as the
Taman Sinar Harapan institutions, often face suboptimal conditions. Some families resort
to senior care homes for long-term care, though these are not suitable for PwDs due to
variable quality and a lack of understanding of their needs.
Group homes – Some families are working with CSOs to set up group homes with trust
funds and dedicated carers. These initiatives aim to create a more supportive living
environment for PwDs with high support needs.
Better options for independent and assisted living
- Ideally a PWD should be able to live independently in their own home/apartment without
major support. This is most feasible for those with low to moderate support needs. - Some may live independently but require occasional assistance from care partners or personal assistants – whether government-paid professionals or family members – to assist with specific tasks such as household chores, banking, grocery shopping, vacation, etc.
- Others may choose to live at home, initially with parents and later with siblings or their extended family. Those with financial means may also hire a part-time or live-in personal assistant for additional support.
- When the above options are not available, a PWD may live in a group home, ideally with access to a care partner or personal assistant
Note that assisted living implies maintaining a home setting with as much independence as
possible while providing necessary support for some activities of daily living, as well as medical
care and financial transactions when needed.
What do adult PwD with high support needs and their families need from the government?
While many countries have developed government-mandated services that routinely support
all PwD, Malaysia seriously lags behind its neighbours. For far too long, much of the
responsibility of long-term care has fallen on the shoulders of parents, families and NGOs. It
is time that both the community and the government take shared responsibility. Relying solely
on the understaffed Welfare Department is not a sustainable solution. What is required is a
series of strong initiatives:
Accessible Infrastructure and Assisted Living Facilities
Malaysia needs to invest in extensive infrastructure and assisted living facilities built with
universal design principles. More importantly, we need to generate right-hearted persons
as care partners – people who provide consistent, dignified support to PWDs with high
support needs in long-term assisted living facilities. We must avoid creating institutions but
instead develop caring communities and assisted living facilities where PwDs can live with
dignity and autonomy.
Assistance for Independent Living
PwDs capable of working, whether in open employment jobs (part-time or full-time) or
sheltered employment, require support from care partners or personal assistants for
independent living. Having support with activities of daily living ensures their wellbeing and
ability to perform in their jobs. This not only enhances financial independence for PwDs
but also alleviates the economic strain on their families.
Affordable and Ethical Assisted Living Services
The government must exponentially increase the availability of professional, ethical and
affordable personal assistant and assisted living services that are state-funded for PwDs
and their family care partners.
Accessible and Affordable Housing
Independent living must be supported through affordable and accessible housing options.
These housing developments should be well-integrated with accessible public transport
systems, pedestrian-friendly walkways, and community spaces, ensuring that PwDs can
move freely and participate fully in society.
Comprehensive Community Support Services
Accessible community facilities, disability-inclusive healthcare services, affordable
assistive devices and equipment, financial aid, disability-inclusive community events and
many more – all goes a long way to alleviate the weight of care and create a more inclusive
society where PwDs lead meaningful lives with dignity.
Inclusive Financial Services
Banking and financial services must be made fully accessible, catering to the diverse
needs of PwDs, so that they have greater financial autonomy. This includes adjustments
for individuals with differences in physical movements, information processing and
communication abilities.
Autonomy and Supported Decision-Making
Legal provisions should ensure that PwDs have greater control and autonomy over their
lives, especially persons with intellectual, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. This
includes the implementation of state-operated trust-funds with healthcare coverage,
supported or shared decision-making frameworks and lasting power of attorney (LPA).
The Need for Systemic Change
Much of these initiatives needs to be mandated through ensuring that support for PwDs and
their care partners becomes a routine governmental responsibility rather than an afterthought.
More importantly, society as a whole must unlearn and relearn what they know about disability
and persons with disabilities from the perspective of a rights-based model of disability and
disability-inclusion. No longer an ‘us-and-them’ attitude that perpetuates social exclusion, but
a wholesome community that embraces and enhances all diversity in society.
In our endeavour to create meaningful change in the long-term outcomes of PwDs, we must
always prioritise their choices and autonomy. As far as possible we should enable them to
decide how they want to live their lives. We should respect the rights, dignity and personal
decisions of PwDs while ensuring their full integration into the community.
As parents, our biggest wish before we leave this world is to know that our children have a
secure future where their long-term needs are met. We hope the government will wake-up to
this urgent need that affects a large segment of the population, and implement the longoverdue legislation and services necessary to support PwDs. As parents of children with
disabilities, we want to die in peace.
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