Business & Finance
As Asia rapidly ages, who cares for the carers when they grow old?
Key Points
As Asia rapidly ages, who cares for the carers when they grow old? Asia’s care economy is booming, but its biggest supplier nations are ageing too, raising fears of a coming carer shortfall Certified as a carer, she now freelances around Kuala Lumpur’s Klang Valley, earning up to 25 ringgit (US$6) an hour for round-the-clock shifts, with clients providing her meals, transport and housing. “My former employer was very understanding and offered to release me earlier so I could earn a higher...
As Asia rapidly ages, who cares for the carers when they grow old?
Asia’s care economy is booming, but its biggest supplier nations are ageing too, raising fears of a coming carer shortfall
Certified as a carer, she now freelances around Kuala Lumpur’s Klang Valley, earning up to 25 ringgit (US$6) an hour for round-the-clock shifts, with clients providing her meals, transport and housing.
“My former employer was very understanding and offered to release me earlier so I could earn a higher salary as a caregiver,” the 50-year-old said.
“A lot of caregivers from the Philippines come to Malaysia or Singapore to work for a while, before they relocate,” Bessie said, adding that, unlike so many others, she planned to stay put.
The region’s wealthier economies are now competing for a workforce that is thinning out as it moves around.