Granting employees eldercare leave so they can take their elderly parents for a medical check-up or tend to them at home if they are sick is definitely a step forward in the right direction. It sends out the message that the government cares, and employers care too.
A news report in the Straits Times today quoted Singapore's Health Minister Gan Kim Yong as saying that a government committee on ageing is considering whether to make it compulsory for companies to give elder care leave.
And why not? If young mothers are allowed to take leave to look after their sick children at home, surely the same consideration can be extended to older workers who have to send their elderly parents for a medical examination or a hospital procedure.
Three weeks ago I spent almost an entire day at the hospital with my mother. She had to undergo some tests for her dementia. Being semi-retired, I could take time off to be with my mother throughout the procedure. But what if I were a full-time employee? I can imagine my boss begrudging me the leave.
Granting eldercare leave is not something new in the public sector. Government agencies like the People's Association, the Competition Commission of Singapore, the National Heritage Board, the Health Promotion Board and the Health Sciences Authority have been doing so for a few years now. The Workforce Development Agency was the first government agency to introduce elder care leave in 2004.
These agencies grant up to three days paid eldercare leave a year. The corporate sector is yet to follow suit. Unless the government makes it mandatory for companies to do so, it is unlikely that they will implement such leave of their own accord.
If charity begins at home, corporate social responsibility should begin at the workplace, right?
When I started this blog in May 2008, I had several names in mind for the blog. Unfortunately all of them were already taken. I must have tried at least 20 names in total, with the same result each time - 'not available'. In frustration I gave it one final go with 'SeniorsAloud'. The name had popped into my mind at that last minute. To my surprise, it was accepted.
Both my daughters didn't like the name at all. They probably felt that with a name like SeniorsAloud, the blog would interest only old people. Of course, I went on the defensive. What did they mean by 'old'? I was about to turn 60 at the time, and didn't feel at all a day over 40. Neither was I frail, and definitely nowhere close to being senile.
Let me ask my readers, does the word 'senior' have a negative connotation? What sort of image springs to mind at the mention of 'senior citizen'? I have good friends who would cringe with horror at being referred to as one, even though they are 60+ and retired. To them, that's as good as sounding the death knell!
The problem with labels is they are generic. 'Old' people are painted with the same brush, and in the same grey colour. But there are so many different shades and hues of grey. If the 50+ and 60+ are not quite ready to be called old, how then would you address them? The 'young old'? That doesn't work either. And are the 70+ the 'old old'? What other terms of reference do we have? The pre-war and post war generations? Equally cumbersome and inadequate. (Photo: My cousins - no way would anyone in their right mind call them 'elderly'! Henry is about the coolest dad I know, and Siew Kin is one fabulously gorgeous mom, inside out. Both are in their early 60s.)
Quite often the media is guilty of mislabeling. "Elderly man victim of snatch thief", says one headline. You read the news report and find that the victim was aged 63. I am turning 63 soon. I can deal with being called a senior citizen as that is what I am. But 'elderly'? Not by a mile. But young reporters are incapable of making that age distinction. To someone in their 20s, 63 is practically ancient.
So until we come up with age appropriate labels, I suppose baby boomers like us will have to forgive the young for addressing us as 'old' and 'elderly'.
Postscript: I'm glad I stuck with the name "Seniorsaloud" for this blog. It has garnered a readership that is steadily growing. It has caught the attention of certain policy-makers on ageing issues in Singapore and Malaysia. It has been mentioned in the local media on several occasions. Some of the articles have been published in reputable magazines. Just last month, I received an email from a program producer at CNN asking for my views on a seniors-related topic. That was a real morale booster.
My SeniorsAloud card which I refer to as my 'passion card', rather than my business or name card.
All those hours of writing and researching are finally paying off in terms of recognition. Now if only some big corporation would step in and sponsor a Seniorsaloud event. That would be taking Seniorsaloud to the next level where it can harness the expertise and experience of retirees for projects that would benefit the community of senior citizens. Seniorsaloud has no shortage of ideas to achieve this objective, and we welcome collaborations with organisations and companies to promote active, healthy living for seniors.
Thanks to Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) in Jalan Imbi, the homeless, the jobless and the hungry now have a place to go to for a hot meal. Barely a month at its new premises, KSK is already drawing long queues every weekday from 11am to 1pm. The menu changes each day depending on what KSK receives from the sponsors. On the day that I visited, each client received not only a generous portion of steaming hot rice with two vegetable dishes, but also a bag containing a loaf of bread, biscuits, a packet drink, a bottle of mineral water and a fruit.
Volunteers busy preparing hot meals and food bags.
Continuous stream of people queuing up for food at the soup kitchen.
KSK's modest medical consultation cum counselling room.
Here's KSK Project Director Justin Cheah doing the laundry for the homeless. This is truly service beyond self.
On Saturday nights, KSK volunteers go out in teams of 3-5 to pre-designated areas e.g. Chow Kit, Pudu Market, Petaling Street, Brickfields and Bukit Bintang, to distribute meals and food packages. Last Saturday blankets were also among the items distributed to the homeless. That night it was cold and wet after hours of heavy rain. The blankets were heaven-sent to those who received them.
Many hands make fast work. Volunteers busy preparing the food items for the Saturday night distribution routes.
Almost ready to go. Note the blankets to be given away as well.
For these homeless street people their beds are cardboard pieces, and the clothes on their backs are the only ones they have. None of those that I gave food to asked whether the food was halal, whether the sponsors were Christian, Muslim or Buddhist, or whether the gift packages were bought with money from gambling revenues. These were of little significance to them.
The hungry, poor and homeless don't ask questions. They are grateful for what they receive. Neither do KSK volunteers ask the clients for their personal particulars. They are happy to serve all, regardless of race, creed or religion. (Note: KSK serves only vegetarian meals.)
The story behind Kechara is closely tied to its founder and spiritual guide H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche who first visited Malaysia in 1992. Today, 18 years down the road, Kechara continues to grow from strength to strength. It now has 13 departments ranging from publications to lodgings, and has plans to add more over the next few years. KSK's long-term goal is to set up a Nurture Centre where the homeless will be trained and equipped with skills to enable them to find jobs.
Volunteers listen to a briefing before setting off on the night rounds. They are taught how best to approach the homeless, and how to offer assistance if required.
Kechara's website is a veritable treasure-house of everything you may want to know about the organization, and more. Check it out and be amazed at what Kechara has achieved in such a short period of time.
If you would like to help out at the soup kitchen or on the food distribution routes, please contact Justin Cheah at +6012 203 2135 or email him at justin.cheah@kechara.com. Kechara also welcomes sponsorship for its food programme. Click here for Kechara's wish list.
