Aged Care Homes Struggle To Upgrade As Families Cannot Afford Higher Fees

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Residential aged care operators in Malaysia are struggling to upgrade their facilities to meet safety and quality standards amid financial constraints, pressure to keep fees affordable and costly regulatory requirements, an industry group says.

Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (AgeCope) president Delren Terrence Douglas said operators faced a difficult balancing act between providing better facilities and keeping residential care affordable for families.

“Everyone who comes to the care centre, they will ask, can you lower the fee? Is RM1,000 okay, is RM1,500 okay? Most Malaysians cannot afford monthly fees of RM3,500, RM4,000, or RM5,000. But that’s the standard they want,” Delren said at the National Long-Term Care Financing Dialogue 2026 on October 21, 2026.