Each year after Chinese New Year, many people I know would be down with sore throat. Be it due to over indulgence in cookies, fried keropok (crackers) and Mandarin oranges. It is made worse with insufficient intake of water and the scorching hot weather that usually accompanies the festive season. Note: I find that Mandarin [...]

Sometimes we need to apply hand restraints for elderly or those with Alzheimer’s and dementia to prevent them from pulling out IVs, feeding, trach and oxygen tubes. In Thailand, healthcare providers and caregivers understand this challenge. Sometimes older folks refuse to stay in hospital and insist to go home may repeatedly try to pull out [...]

In Malaysia, Singapore and many other countries, ready made formulas are usually purchased for loved ones who are on tube feeding. Tube feeding, either nasogastric (through the nose) or PEG (through the stomach) is usually done for patients who develop neurological disorders such as dysphagia due to complications from illness such as stroke, ALS or [...]

Statistically, about 65% of Alzheimer’s/dementia patients would develop dysphagia, which is difficulty in swallowing. Dysphagia can also be due to other neurological condition and illness, or short term due to treatments such as radiotherapy. For medical conditions not related to Alzheimer’s/dementia, the option is to insert either a nose tube (nasogastric tube) or a PEG [...]

Over the past few decades there have been a huge commercialization centered around the art of feng shui. Items that are said to improve feng shui are sold at exorbitant prices, then there are various books on this topic more that an average person could read. One can also attend seminars costing thousands of ringgit [...]

Acupuncture is very helpful for the following condition: 1. Regaining more mobility after stroke 2. Pain management for elderly after falls 3. Legs or overall body no strength especially in elderly 4. Body pain and numbness And a host of other symptoms. For example a Malay friend of mine had cough for months and could [...]

In the previous article, I have written on why we should not send our parents to nursing home. Regardless of any justifications that we wish to give ourselves to make us feel better, know that when we send them away, we would break their hearts. Just like the many things that we are determined to [...]

We have just passed Mother’s Day and Father’s Day would be approaching. Hidden within the fringe of society, many parents are spending these days in old folks or nursing homes. In this era, grown children would not think twice to send off their parents permanently to go stay in an old folks home once their [...]

Help can come in unexpectedly in life. Do you know that my life was saved by a bidan (midwife/assistance nurse) and a bomoh (Malay medium)? During the initial stages when my mom was pregnant with me, a doctor had diagnosed my mom as having a molar pregnancy (meaning just a lump of meat growing and [...]