More
Singaporeans are living longer and many of them want to live meaningful and
healthy lives. Most, if not all, will not want to end up in nursing homes
or in hospitals.
With the
retirement age being extended slowly but surely by our government, it is
imperative, that those who had retired earlier or lost their jobs due to
retrenchment or failed businesses have opportunities to work once again.
Working provides us with key social support. For being gainfully employed not
only allows for financial security but also ensures that the person keeps their
sanity – for an idle mind is often the devil’s workshop.
To ensure
employability, it is absolutely necessary for the job seeker to be kept updated
on the latest technological advances, be computer savvy and be able to
multi-task. For multi-tasking is the buzzword these days.
To this end,
I share the sentiments expressed by forum writer Paul Heng in his letter to The
Straits Times, (“Hiring
mature talent a win-win for firms, workers”; Saturday, September 3, 2016”)
With an aging
population rapidly coming on-stream, coupled with the shortage of health care
workers in nursing homes and community hospitals, it would be useful for the
Ministry of Health (MOH) to employ retired nurses or those who are out of work–
for one reason or the other. MOH should allow for freelance or locum work for
workers who prefer shorter working hours as opposed to longer, draining hours
can badly affect the employed seniors.
Helping to
give love and care to the elderly sick in nursing homes can be so rewarding.
Most certainly, retired nurses or seniors who have a love for the less
fortunate and want to pay it forward can help the residents in the homes to
spend their twilight years with some dignity. With the warmth and
empathetic presence these re-employed nurses or retirees can bring, it will
mean the difference between a dismal day and a bright one. Seniors are also
more willing to show their gratitude. They appreciate what you’re doing
for them and they don’t mind telling you so.
With the
Government providing attractive subsidies for courses through the skills
development fund, those seeking such meaningful jobs, should seize the
opportunity to upgrade themselves as such jobs will always be in demand – not
just here in Singapore, but in many parts of the world where there is also an ageing
population which governments have to tackle.
Some of the
simple, but by no means important tasks that health care workers in nursing
homes or hospitals have to take on include taking patients’ vital signs, such
as temperature and blood pressure, helping to clean, bathe and dress them, or
serve the patients their meals as they help them eat.
Many of those
who are currently not working are not keen to work full time, as they would
prefer quality time with their own families and a more relaxed lifestyle. But
if the pay is attractive and good incentives given, I am sure those who are out
of work will be willing to consider working in such settings.
RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO
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