Tzu Chi volunteers accompanied Grandpa Ng (right) to Thong Kheng Seniors Activity Centre to personally deliver a ‘Thank You’ card to a staff member. (Photo source: Tzu Chi Singapore photo archive)
62-year-old Grandpa Ng lives in a one-room flat and has been undergoing kidney dialysis for six years. Besides receiving monthly financial aid from Tzu Chi, he also receives much help from Thong Kheng Seniors Activity Centre, which is located near his home. With the care and support from these two social organisations, he is able to live a stable life without having to worry about medical bills and living expenses.
When asked by a Tzu Chi volunteer to write a ‘Thank You’ card to show his appreciation for someone who has helped him, Grandpa Ng readily did so and personally delivered the card to a staff member at the Activity Centre.
“It was Mr Pang who took me to NCSS the first time to apply for monetary aid,” he said with gratitude.
The surprise visit and heartwarming gesture delighted Ms Luo Jin Qin, a programme coordinator at the Activity Centre. She said that it was the duty of the Centre’s staff to serve elderly people who are in need.
“Actually, we do not expect any reward for our work. What is most important is that our senior citizens can live happy and healthy lives!” said Luo.
A joint effort to understand and help the elderly
In 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated 1 October as International Day of Older Persons. By 2030, the world’s population over 60 is expected to reach 1.4 billion and one in five people in Singapore ─ or some 900,000 ─ will be aged over 65. Therefore, it is imperative to help the elderly stay active and socially connected.
To commemorate International Day of Older Persons, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) launched a month-long celebration on 3 October, with a focus on three Cs ─ “Communicate, Connect, Celebrate”. It invited several business organisations and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to support and participate in various activities and programmes that help the elderly live a healthy, active life and build good relationships with the community.
As one of the participating VWOs, Tzu Chi Singapore mobilized its volunteers to accompany 31 Gerontology students from the Singapore Institute of Management in visiting some of Tzu Chi’s elderly aid recipients to learn more about the latter’s home environment, their life experiences, as well as their physical and emotional needs. After hearing many of these seniors share how they had toiled to make a living and the hardships they had endured, the students developed a greater sense of empathy and respect for the elderly.
The seniors were also encouraged and guided by volunteers to pen their appreciation on ‘Thank You’ cards, which they could give to family members or friends who they would like to thank for helping them.
When interviewed, the person in charge of the SIM Gerontology research project, Ms Esther Ker (a manager at NCSS Service Planning and Development Group), commented that as the Tzu Chi volunteers had a good rapport with the elderly, the students could quickly enter into conversation with the latter and were able to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by seniors.
“I believe that that the collaboration is a good learning experience for both volunteers and students. The volunteers learned to ask the seniors questions from different perspectives while the students could also apply what they have learned in school,” said Ker.
Valuable findings from home visits
On 17 October, Tzu Chi Singapore’s social workers, Karen Lim and Li Yi Xian, and two other volunteers attended a presentation on the students’ research findings at the Singapore Institute of Management. The followings were some of the issues and questions presented and discussed:
While some of today’s young may have grandparents living in their homes, communicating with the elderly over a potentially wide generation gap and over differences in culture, ethnicity, and religion is not easy for the uninitiated.
Some elderly parents have to take care of adult children who are suffering from physical or mental impairments, and they need continued support and even financial aid from the government and/or charities.
What should the allowance be for senior citizens to live comfortably?
Travel mobility problems necessitate the provision of special senior taxi fare cards for those who need to go for regular health check-ups.
Bed bugs are what some old folks have to live with. However, some of them may have an emotional attachment to infested objects, and when these objects are replaced or discarded, they may suffer psychologically.
How and to what extent should the community help the elderly population?
The atmosphere of the presentation and discussion was noticeably different from that experienced in a typical classroom. Even though each group of students had 20 minutes to present their findings, most exceeded the allocated time in their enthusiasm. The students had an engaging discussion with their professor, freely sharing their observations and gaving opinions and suggestions on ways to better the lives of the elderly.
If the palpable passion of the Gerontology cohort is anything to go by, the future bodes well for the profession indeed!
Representatives from Tzu Chi, NCSS, and SIM having a meeting at the Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall to discuss about their collaboration (Photo By Chen Roujie)
The NCSS organised an event in Marine Parade on 3 October to mark the first day of a month-long celebration of the International Day of Older Persons. Among those invited were Tzu Chi Singapore’s CEO, Low Swee Seh, and Deputy CEO, Xu Xue You, as well as its two social workers. (Photo by Li Yi Xian)
Gerontology students from SIM interview elderly Mr Yeo, a Tzu Chi beneficiary, to learn about his life experiences and needs, as well as the challenges he faces as a senior citizen. (Photo by Nichelle Chan)
On 17 October, Tzu Chi Singapore’s social workers, Karen Lim and Li Yi Xian, and two volunteers from the NGO attended a presentation on the research findings of the SIM students who visited Tzu Chi’s elderly beneficiaries. (Photo by Bernard Ng)
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