Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen.
1. Today is a very special occasion for many of us as we gather here to celebrate the graduation of 29 individuals from a Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) training course, as well as to appreciate our long-serving volunteers at NTUC Eldercare’s Silver Circle Social Day Care Centres and Wellness Programme.
2. These 29 individuals had gone through the 10 full-days “Certificate in Community Home Care Giving Skills” training course developed together by NTUC Eldercare Co-operative Ltd and TSAO Foundation. NTUC Eldercare has taken the lead to send its care staff to the certified training, with the aim to professionalise its services. To date, a total of 49 staff have been sent for such training, with the first group graduating today.
3. Let me cite an example: Mdm Tam Sai Mui, aged 58 years old, a full-time day care staff has been serving the elderly with NTUC Eldercare for the past 6 years. She is graduating today. She speaks Mandarin most of the time, but that did not hold her back. She has put in a lot of effort working together with her team of colleagues, helping each other in preparing for the course assessment. Today, she has passed and is certified as a nationally recognised skilled care-giver. For many, like herself, this is their first formal adult training certification and a testimony to their ability to make a difference in the lives of others.
4. Another example is Mdm Sakuntalla, aged 51 years old, a flexi-hour Care@home iCare Officer. She has been serving the elderly for the past 5 months. Mdm Sakun lost her job as a car park attendant when the company automated its parking operations. She decided to give the eldercare industry a try, although she had no prior experience. The training course has helped to build her confidence in providing care to the older person as she gained the necessary skills and knowledge in this area. And this is what Mdm Sakun has to share, “I have learnt how to encourage the elderly, how to communicate and take care of them. Very happening! I like the job and I like to help the elderly.”
Together, let’s congratulate all the graduands and wish them all the best. Let’s encourage them to put what they have learnt into good practice in their course of work.
5. NTUC Eldercare intends to continue with this formal training course for all its front-line staff, so as to deliver care services professionally. It believes that the staff will have greater confidence in their work, and the training will enhance their careers in this field. We would like caregivers to enable their charges to do more for themselves, to make their own choices of what they want to do. We hope our caregivers will be great enablers.
6. A study conducted by MCYS in 2005 found that among seniors aged 55 and above, more than 90% of them depended on their family for help and emotional support when they were ill. We all also know that care-giving can be very taxing on the family caregivers especially if he/she is not supported well. Caregivers face varying degrees of emotional stress in their daily tasks of caring for the elderly. As family size gets smaller, the family care-giving responsibility becomes even heavier.
7. To help these caregivers and to ensure good care is provided to the older person at home, NTUC Eldercare is starting a new initiative under its Care@home Service, known as “Together We Care”. It comprises of two segments – (a) training and (b) support system, targeting mainly at the family caregivers. The former – training - focuses on structured training over 3 full days that will equip caregivers with necessary basic home care giving skills that will enhance the standard level of care at home. The latter – the support system - focuses on establishing a sustainable caregiver support system that enables caregivers to better care for themselves and their loved ones through activities like monthly structured networking, training workshops and self care tips. There will be a holistic range of support designed to provide them with cognitive knowledge, practical skills, and emotional care. Relevant products and services will also be made accessible to the trainees in the near future.
8. So far, NTUC Eldercare has had organised skills-based and self care workshops. As it is important to constantly keep a two-way communication with the caregivers, they are looking at different media or platforms such as print, internet and a help-line service, to reach out to the caregivers as well as enabling them to have easy access to care-giving information and tips. These will be made available soon.
9. A caregiver, be it a family member or staff, will need respite, or time off from their care-giving routine. Resources have always been limited in community care, hence, volunteers are very important as a source of alternative manpower to run activities for older persons. Befriending is very much welcome by older persons. We are very fortunate to have a group of such individuals who have continuously putting in much time and effort in the five Silver Circle Social Day Care Centres and two Wellness Programme managed by NTUC Eldercare. To them, I would like to say that you have brought much happiness and joy to the older persons. On behalf of NTUC Eldercare, I would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of you. And as a gesture of appreciation, NTUC Eldercare will be sending its regular volunteers to the training course so that you too will be better skilled and more confident when caring for the older person.
10. Today is the day for all of you, the graduands and volunteers. So enjoy and have fun.
11. And to NTUC Eldercare, I wish you great success in the implementation of the new initiative.
12. Thank you.
