Keynote Speakers
Assoc. Prof.
Dr. Rahimah Ibrahim
Rahimah Ibrahim is an educator and researcher in ageing and human services. She is the Director of Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing and previously the Head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). As an associate professor at the Faculty of Human Ecology, UPM, she conducts undergraduate course on adult development and ageing and postgraduate course on social gerontology.
Dr. Rahimah’s research interest is in the area of support for the elderly and also the relations between formal and informal care provisions for older persons. Her care related research projects include those on psychosocial aspects of dementia care (University of Sydney), comparative study on care relations among Asian countries (Kyoto University), filial responsibility among female undergraduates in different Asian societies (Tokyo Christian Women’s University), exploring the standards of residential care facilities for older persons in Malaysia (Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia) and the structure of facilities and services to meet the needs for an aged Malaysia in 2030 (Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development).
She has contributed her expertise in the curriculum review of the vocational subject of Basic Gerontology and Geriatrics for selected secondary schools in Malaysia. In the past, she was also involved in the PEMANDU lab (Prime Minister’s Department) for senior living and the onboarding sessions for the development of the Private Aged Care Facilities and Services Bill (Ministry of Health) that was passed in 2017.
Care Across Generations: Policy, Research, and Innovation for Malaysia’s Ageing Society
Abstract
Malaysia is moving rapidly from an ageing society to an aged society. By 2030, more than one in seven Malaysians will be 60+, and by mid-century nearly one in six will be 65+. Although disability-free years are rising, about 17% of older adults still need help with daily activities, and ageing patterns differ sharply across districts as households with older persons grow.
This keynote sets out five system moves: (1) prevention-first primary care with routine screening for noncommunicable disease, falls, and frailty; (2) home- and community-based support as the default, with time-limited respite, transitional, and residential options; (3) pooled financing tied to home modifications, assistive technology, and respite; (4) professionalising the care workforce to meet national targets with fair conditions; and (5) integrated health–social data for outcome-based purchasing and safeguarding.
Implementation is illustrated through Sarawak’s hub-and-spoke model with mobile teams, language access, and culturally safe and linguistically accessible services.