Malaysia: Healthy and Graceful Ageing for All – Noble Care Malaysia Sendirian Berhad (Sdn Bhd)

Introduction

Ageing is drastically increasing in Malaysia and will continue to grow until 2030 (MHM, 2018; Qandeel & Jehom, 2020). Consequently, senior citizens are expected to be triple and have more mobility, health and care issues that will affect their quality of life (Lai et al., 2019; Phua et al., 2019). The number and demand for ageing care centres across the globe, including Malaysia, are increasing to treat older adults with love, care and attention, similar to home (Noor & Isa, 2020). One family business in Klang Valley, Malaysia, is doing its best to provide holistic care and quality services to old and ailing community members. That family business is Noble Care Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The logo of Noble Care below (Fig. 1) symbolises care for its community.

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Fig. 1.

Noble Care Logo.

Background to Noble Care Malaysia

Noble Care Malaysia Sdn Bhd has been a family business since 2005. Noble Care's well-equipped model centres work and provide complete care and quality services to aged and ailing community members. They specialise in providing care to the elderly suffering from severe illnesses such as stroke, coma, tube feeding, catheters, tracheostomy tube, gastrostomies, colostomy bags, terminal diseases like cancer, etc. Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhary, a geriatric physician, is the founder and CEO of Noble Care (Noor et al., 2021). The business idea originates from addressing his ageing along with other elderly people in Malaysia. Working as a geriatrician, Dr Ejaz was interested in establishing model ageing care centres throughout Malaysia with vision and practical knowledge. He went to the field, realised the problem and pain of older adults in Malaysia and started Noble Care as a human-driven with passion and heart. Noble Care is providing services in Pakistan and Malaysia, and now, negotiation is starting with Arab countries (E. Ahmed, personal communication, NC, May 2023).

His wife, sons and daughters are running the business. It is registered as a mission to support the Malaysian government's social responsibility programme to provide residential care for the homeless, elderly, needy older and unprivileged people. The motto of Noble Care is ‘Care and Nursing Services for Elderlies’. Noble Care helps thousands of families suffering from the challenges of caring for old folks in terms of medical, physical and emotional needs. Noble Care dreams of attending to all those old folks unattended at home. Noble Care assists older adults in being mentally vigorous for social interaction, indulging them in different hobbies and interests. It supports them to take responsibility rather than lose themselves in the dark side of ageing. Noble Care provides services to make elderly vulnerable hearts free from inner sadness and silent screams by always surrounding their lives with a balance of support, care, love and well-equipped facilities (E. Ahmed, personal communication, NC, October 2022).

The Clan Behind the Business

The leadership of the family business is shared by Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry and his wife, whereas sons and daughters share the position of Manager and Director. Mr Bilal Ahmed Chaudhry has been part of Noble Care since its inception, even though he was in college, where he used to help while doing the marketing and other licencing work for centres. Currently, he is the Director of Subang Jaya Centre and oversees the operation of centres in other parts of Malaysia, such as Johor Bahru, Penang, etc. He frequently travels from one centre to another for quality checks and balances and marketing purposes. Recently, Noble Care Malaysia signed a contract with Selangor Government Malaysia to develop five new care centres under Noble Care (The Star Press, 2023). Figs. 2 and 3 show the workforce behind the business.

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Fig. 2.

Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry (CEO Noble Care).

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Fig. 3.

The Clan Behind the Business.

Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry spans a variety of roles in aged care service, such as a board member of the Global Ageing Network (2018) Board of Directors and strengthening the Global Ageing Network's ability (Global Ageing Network, 2018). Noble Care has shown immense growth since its inception in 2005. Today, it employs more than 150 employees and is recognised as the best in elderly care services. Noble Care's motto is providing excellent services in aged care, so the family considers it constantly when setting up new centres. This family greatly supports the Malaysian Government by stressing that nobody dies unattended in their golden age. This simple phrase reflects Noble Care's sincere commitment to care for older people (Noble Care, 2022).

Family Business Philosophy and Family Business Values

The philosophy behind the involvement of the entire Dr Ejaz clan is deeply rooted in the commitment to help the ailing and ageing community for graceful ageing. Noble Care also provides Retirement Resort (NCRR) services at Country Villas, World Racket Centre (WRC), Jalan Cinta Air, Country Heights, Kajang, in Selangor, Malaysia.

We are pioneers in town for providing the best elderly care services and believe in consumer dignity and informed choices about their care and services.

(E. Ahmed, personal communication, October 24, 2022)

Noble Care offers a self-sufficient, independent lifestyle with more time for the things the elderly will enjoy. Our dedicated team takes care of our residents because ageing is better spent enjoying with friends, family and all the opportunities that our elderlies deserve.

(E. Ahmed, personal communication, October 24, 2022)

Dr Ejaz clan has identified four key themes based on (i) basic living, (ii) medical facilities, (iii) love and (iv) attention that represents their vision, mission and values, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry's Family, who is behind Noble Care Malaysia, is very proud that they are providing the best service in elderly care and helping the Malaysian government to sort out the ageing issues, up to 2030, about 15% of the entire population of Malaysia will be elderly. In line with its mission, Noble Care is keen to develop family-integrated residential care and facilities for old folks who cannot manage themselves at home. Noble Care's vision is to be the best developer and operator of integrated aged care services facilities.

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Fig. 4.

Noble Care Values.

SDG#3 Noble Care Malaysia

Malaysia requires a maximum of 2000 homes for old folks by the year 2030 as the ageing population will be around 15% of the total population (Phua et al., 2019). Noble Care Malaysia is ready to accept the challenges to assist the government and private sectors in coping with this ageing tsunami challenge in the country. This is evident from the company's vision and mission, which is a blend of development of family-integrated residential care and facilities for old folks who cannot be managed at home. Noble Care provides a blend of luxury and comfort for elderlies in their golden years. The Healthy Ageing for All value of the family behind Noble Care is directly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal Good Health and Well-being (SDG#3), which is one of the 17 global goals that comprised the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Thus, ensuring satisfying healthy lives and promoting various engaging activities are vital for the sustainable development of ageing adults in Malaysia. By adopting SDG#3 as its aspiring goal, Noble Care can openly position itself as one of the most reliable ageing centres which offer a complete care service for elderly customers. This is evidenced by the fact that they stress graceful ageing and consider it an essential issue as ageing is a growing global phenomenon. The family business's core values revolve around basic living, medical facilities, and love and attention for elderlies in their golden years. Dr Ejaz's clan focused on the fact that Malaysia requires a better support system for the elderly by ensuring their self-respect of the elderly and giving them a better lifestyle. In line with this, Noor et al. (2022) highlight that Malaysia is one of the Asian countries experiencing an issue of high life expectancy and lower fertility and death rates compared to developed countries where apart from the decline in fertility and mortality ratio, and development and enhancement have gradually evolved over a century. However, in Asian developing countries, the ageing phenomenon grew in a much shorter period. This is an open challenge for a country like Malaysia to cope with an ageing population with limited resources (Phua et al., 2019). Noble Care's nursing homes and retirement resorts create employment opportunities for the community, especially the catchment area where it is located. Each centre is estimated to require approximately 12–15 staff. In line with its vision to develop 100 centres by 2030, Noble Care is expected to create more than 1,500 job opportunities. This would positively impact the economy, reducing unemployment, especially in the qualified nursing sector. Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry, the founder of Noble Care Malaysia, stated:

The ageing population has played a remarkable role for the nation in their prime hence it is obligatory for the nation to provide them appropriate assistance, help and care.

(Noble Care, 2023)

Noble Care Business Model and SDG – Good Health and Well-Being (SDG#3)

Noble Care has helped thousands of families deal with the daily challenges of caring for their old folks' medical, physical and emotional needs. Elder care is a responsibility to be shouldered with honour. Apart from providing primary care for loved ones, Noble Care also provides emotional support from trained professional psychologists and consultants to help old folks and their families. Noble Care's niche is to provide residential care and medical support for aged with severe and multiple disabilities who need special care and professional medical services. Noble Care's care services, medical supervision and rehabilitation care for independent living assisted living and total nursing care for the people with severe illnesses, like stroke, coma, tube feeding, catheters, tracheostomy tube, peg feeding, colostomy bags and terminal illnesses such as cancer. Fig. 5 demonstrates Noble Care Business Model.

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Fig. 5.

Noble Care Business Model.

Documenting Impact – Noble Care Staff in Action

Noble Care's commitment to prioritising elderly customers' health and well-being has yielded significant positive impacts within its business organisation and the surrounding community. Dr Ejaz's passion for elderly care services has helped him to transform Noble Care into a reputable ageing centre in Malaysia. With effective leadership, satisfying care services and a conducive business environment, more successful testimonials of customer satisfaction can be crafted to document its meaningful achievements. Not only customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and engagement levels have soared, leading to higher commitment that can enhance collaboration with partners and the creativity of its business model. Furthermore, Noble Care's comprehensive care services and routine wellness activities make the centre a retirement place for many ageing adults. So, through its continued dedication to SDG#3, Dr Ejaz can record more impacts that Noble Care can bring about to society and foster a sustainable and prosperous future for more ageing people in Malaysia. Fig. 1 portrays the company logo and Figs. 6 and 7 highlight the staff at work at Noble Care.

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Fig. 6.

Noble Care Management.

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Fig. 7.

Noble Care Staff in Action.

Milestones of Noble Care

Started humbly in 2005 as Noble Care, its mission is to provide family-integrated residential care and facilities, a blend of luxury living and comforts in their golden years, easy access to all the basic living needs and a great life full of love, care, dignity and happiness. Dr Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry was motivated by his experience as a geriatrician, during which he identified a need for well-designed care facilities. Noble Care started with only one care centre, which provided 12 beds. It grew gradually by developing care centres in the primary states of Malaysia, providing aged care services with the balance of resources and skills supporting it. Currently, 30 ageing care centres of Noble Care are working in various states of Malaysia and offering services, retirement resorts and day care centre services. The facilities include meals, gatherings, recreation activities and some form of health or hospice care. Noble Care is striving hard to change the concept of an Old Folk Home in Asia to a Retirement and Wellness Resort Home and setting into a sprawling area closer to one-hectare land surrounded by lush greenery at the top hill off Kuala Lumpur. Noble Care has revolutionised the concept of retirement homes, creating a lifestyle, resort living with healthcare facilities.

To keep the elderly happy, healthy and dignified in their golden years, Noble Care Retirement Resort (NCRR) gives a holistic view of sitting at the top hill of Kuala Lumpur. The resort boasts a treehouse, gym facilities, Zen gardens and a tranquil rooftop terrace that offers a bird's eye view of the bustling cityscape. They aim to continue to grow, and the quality is always maintained during growth and expansion.

Old age is not a matter of sorrow. It is a matter of thanks if we have left our work behind us.

(Carlyle, 2018)

Aligning the Family Business With SDG#3 – Good Health and Well-Being
(Ensuring Healthy Lives and Promoting Well-Being for All at All Ages)

SDG#3 aims to seek healthy lives for all along each stage of life; however, the ageing population is drastically increasing globally, including in Malaysia. In 2020, 9% of the global population was above 65 years old, and it is projected to reach 16% in 2050 (Samad & Mansor, 2017). Noble Care stand for providing the best elderly care services, such as care centres, retirement resorts, day care centres and nursing homes. Malaysia's healthcare system yielded excellent outcomes through widespread delivery of basic healthcare services and ensuring 100% attendance of skilled professionals for birth, keeping low rates of maternal, neonatal and under-5 mortality rates and preserving the low rates of HIV and Malaria cases (Novakovic, 2021). Malaysia still needs to work on SDG#3, as the ageing population is an obstacle to attaining sustainability in the labour market, economics, pension and policies. The connection between health and ageing is inevitable because financial stability, social development and protection are mutually interdependent and reinforce components of sustainable development (Phua et al., 2019). Noble Care is striving hard to provide a better support system for older adults by ensuring self-respect for the elderly and a better lifestyle, as in the coming year, existing care centres will not be adequate to meet the expected demand for aged care shortly in Malaysia. More ageing care centres like Noble Care are essential to ensuring healthy ageing among elderly Malaysians. In other words, Noble Care is the most suitable role model for other ageing care centres in terms of service variations, service management and service quality.

One of the proactive actions of Noble Care in promoting age care services is its collaboration with multiple stakeholders and parties in Malaysia to set up more fully equipped ageing centres and daily care services to improve healthy ageing lives among elderlies in urban areas. In addition, more community awareness programmes are essential to spearhead various activities and events involving the public of diverse backgrounds. In line with this motion, Noble Care Sdn Bhd has signed an MOU with the Malaysian Government to set up more nursing homes called ‘Pusat Mesra Wargamas’ in Selangor, Malaysia. In simple English terms, these nursing homes will be known as the centres of friendly elderly people. This important project implies the government acknowledges and approves Noble Care's establishment in the service care industry.

Challenges of Working With SDG#3 – Good Health and Well-Being

The main challenge for Noble Care now is who else will follow and support their moves in helping the country to cope with increasing demand for more fully equipped and high-comfort centres. Will this be a lonesome struggle for Noble Care or more new ageing service operators can be created from this novel collaboration initiative with the government? Time will reveal all about who will sustain and persevere in the competitive care service industry since it is too early to predict the outcomes of this collaborative effort.

Other challenges that will follow Noble Care throughout its business expansion are related to resources, both human (committed employees) and non-human factors (financial issues). These factors are not uncommon in most business operations. Since Noble Care depends on continuous employee commitment and involvement to serve the elderly customer segment, its human resource department must also be equipped with modern facilities that involve customer relationship management (CRM) activity and software to keep its customer data updated effectively and be less dependent on employees. Regarding financial resources for business growth and the purchase of modern equipment, Noble Care must practice a transparent and accountable corporate governance process that can help to convince more investors, government agencies, financial institutions and banks to fund or provide financial support for its business development.

With unprecedented changes in customer demands and needs due to the advancement of information technology, economic, social and cultural factors, more and better services are going to be requested by elderly customers' families in future. This will lead to another significant challenge that can change the existing management and administrative works at Noble Care. The employees must be equipped with the latest IT knowledge and skills as an added value to deal with demanding customers.

More importantly, Dr Ejaz and his team must also care for their health and well-being to be able to run the business and handle multiple challenges that may interfere with their short, intermediate and long-term goals. Balancing work and health is a tough challenge for someone who is a proactive and innovative entrepreneur like Dr Ejaz. He focuses more on others' needs than his, and his compassionate attitude may deteriorate his health condition at times when he cannot have any control over it.

Nevertheless, Dr Ejaz does believe that older people had done their best in their prime time, so for Noble Care now, they are responsible for doing the best for them in return. With the strong commitment uncompromisingly shown by Noble Care, Malaysians should all realise that elderly people need the utmost love, care and attention for them to age gracefully and healthily in the multiracial harmonious society.