“I’ve been working as a Health Assistant at the Helping Hand Po Lam Self Care Home for over twelve years. I started off as a cleaner and Helping Hand gave me training opportunities to progress my career. Every morning, I start my day by chatting with and listening to the residents - to find out how they’re feeling, whether they need any special assistance or if they’re feeling unwell in any way. It’s a lot about communication. My work brings me a lot of fulfilment because the residents are so caring and grateful. Since working here, I’ve also picked up caring skills that I can apply to caring for my own elderly parents."

「我喺伸手助人協會寶琳老人之家呢度做保健員超過12年喇。我一開頭係做清潔工友，之後協會俾機會我去培訓，等我轉做呢個職位。每朝返到嚟，我會同院友傾吓偈，聽吓佢哋講嘢，觀察吓佢哋，有冇特別嘢需要幫手或者有冇見邊度唔妥。好多時都係好講溝通。我嘅工作帶俾我好大滿足感，因為呢度嘅院友好識關心人同埋感恩。做咗呢份工之後，我仲學識咗照顧老人家嘅技巧，可以用返嚟照顧屋企人。」

“At the Self Care Home, residents are pretty independent and often go out to meet friends and family, go grocery shopping and engage in different activities. We have a good community here and keep our residents very active! There are weekly events like plays, movie nights, karaoke, field trips and birthday parties. Many of our residents have not had others celebrate their birthdays with them before, so these birthday parties mean a lot to them. I hear a lot of interesting life stories. Some people stay with us because they have some family issues, others don’t have a home to go back to. There was a lady whose husband passed away when she was just 29; she had to raise two kids on her own while dealing with grief. Years later, after her son got married, she didn’t get along with her in-laws and decided to leave home and move out herself. Many residents have had life challenges and experienced pain - we want to make them feel happy and comfortable here, to give them a family and a home."

”I’ve learned that stories are the best way to connect with our residents - they always stick. One time, I played the character Chang’e in the story of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and through that story the residents really bonded with me and with each other. In Chinese culture, death is still very much a taboo topic, but here at Helping Hand we organise talks to raise awareness of life and death, and to give the elderly a platform to openly express their thoughts and wishes. We also encourage our residents to share stories and we record interviews with them - to capture their life stories, anecdotes and wishes after death. They sometimes use that as an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ to their family. It’s so meaningful for family members to be able to treasure these memories. Being part of an organisation that helps people in this way brings me a lot of joy!”

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「老人之家呢度嘅院友都好獨立嘅，好多時會出去見朋友同埋屋企人、買餸同埋參與唔同活動。我哋院舍嘅氣氛幾好，啲院友都好活躍！我哋每星期都有搞活動，好似係話劇、電影之夜、唱卡拉OK、郊遊同埋生日會咁。好多院友從來未試過有人同佢哋慶祝生日，所以呢啲生日會對佢哋嚟講係好有意思。我聽過好多有趣嘅人生故事。有啲人同我哋住，係因為佢哋有家庭問題，有啲就因為佢哋冇屋企可以返。試過有一個女士，佢嘅先生過身嗰時佢只有29歲，佢傷心之餘仲要自己湊大兩個囝。多年之後，佢個囝結咗婚，佢同佢嘅親家夾唔嚟，於是決定自己搬出嚟住。好多院友嘅人生都有過難關，經歷過痛苦，我哋希望佢哋喺呢度覺得開心舒服，可以成為佢哋嘅另一個家。」

「我發現講故事就係同院友熟絡最好嘅方法，萬試萬靈㗎。有一次，我負責扮中秋節嫦娥奔月入面嘅嫦娥，演完嗰個故仔，院友真係同我熟絡咗好多。傳統中國文化始終係好避忌講死亡，但喺伸手助人協會呢度，我哋會安排講座去提高大家對生死嘅意識，俾個平台老人家去講佢哋嘅諗法同埋意願。我哋都會鼓勵院友去分享故事，我哋會訪問佢哋，記錄低佢哋嘅人生故事、趣事同埋臨終嘅意願。佢哋有時會當嗰個係一個機會同家人講多謝或者對唔住。對佢哋嘅家人嚟講，有一個咁嘅記錄係好有意義。能夠喺呢個機構入面做嘢幫人，我覺得好快樂！」