“I first learned about Helping Hand from my big sister who was working here at the time. She encouraged me to give it a try, so I joined as a Personal Care Worker in 1995. All these years later, I’m still here! We have three different shifts - morning, afternoon and night. My job involves taking care of our residents - bathing, feeding, providing bathroom assistance, helping out with mealtimes and bedtimes. We also plan a lot of activities and take them out for Yum Cha or other outings. I feel so energised every day when I come to work. I’m so happy to see and chat with the residents, and they’re also very happy to see me! We work very well together as a team and I’m grateful to have such amazing colleagues. Time flies every day when I’m at work."

「我一開始認識伸手助人協會呢個機構，係因為我大家姐係入面嘅職員。佢鼓勵我試吓應徵，就係咁我喺1995年加入成為個人護理員。經過咗咁多年，我仲喺呢度！我哋有三更：早更、晏晝更同埋夜更。我嘅工作包括照顧我哋嘅院友，幫佢哋沖涼啦，餵佢哋食飯，協助佢哋去廁所，幫手開飯同埋安排佢哋去瞓覺。我哋都會搞好多活動，帶佢哋出去飲茶或者郊遊。我每一日返工都好有動力㗎。見到院友，同佢哋傾偈係開心嘅，佢哋見到我亦都好開心！我哋一隊人合作得好好，好慶幸有咁好嘅同事。喺度做嘢嘅每一日，時間都過得好快。」

“Elderly people have a lot of stories. They can also sometimes have a bit of a temper, but can very quickly get back to a good mood. Many people see this line of work as ‘dirty work’, but I don’t see it that way. Reality is very different from imagination and I would invite people to come experience it themselves. I always tell my daughters that I find a lot of joy in the work that I do, that it’s not disgusting or gross - quite the contrary. The relationships that you build here are so special. Years ago, one of the residents shared with me, “It’s my birthday tomorrow, but no one will celebrate with me.” So I decided to give him a little surprise. I went out and bought him a roast goose leg as a birthday treat. When he opened the box, he was so touched and was moved to tears. He was so grateful and happy just from this simple act of care. Every one of us gets old. So if everybody shuns this line of work, who will take care of our elderly? I feel like it’s the right thing to do."

”I have two daughters, and they both live in the UK now. They often asked me, “Mum, when are you going to join us?”. After a lot of thought, I told them that I’ve decided to stay in Hong Kong. I miss my daughters but I love taking care of my ‘old friends’ here. My work brings me fulfilment and I don’t want to go anywhere - it’s my lifetime mission! I would really encourage young people to give this profession a try, just like I did all those years ago. It’s so meaningful and satisfying. To be a good care worker you need to be very kindhearted, attentive and patient. Elderly people are just normal people who have gone through a lot, and they deserve to be treated with respect and care. I love my job but it is hard work, so on my days off I like to relax, listen to music, and play Mahjong!”

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 「老人家有好多故事。佢哋有時可能會有少少脾氣，但係都可以好快回復好心情。好多人會覺得呢個行業係「厭惡性行業」，但係我唔係咁睇。現實同大家嘅想像係好唔同嘅，所以我會邀請人嚟親身體驗吓。我成日都同我啲囡講，我做呢份工係好開心，一啲都唔覺得厭惡。喺呢度建立到嘅關係係好特別嘅。好多年前，有一個院友同我講，「今日係我嘅生日，但係冇人會同我慶祝。」所以我決定俾個驚喜佢。我出去買咗隻燒鵝髀俾佢賀壽。當佢打開個飯盒，佢感動到流眼淚。一個咁微細嘅舉動已經令佢好感動好開心。我哋每一個人都會變老。如果人人都唔願意做呢個行業，邊個會照顧我哋嘅老人家呢？我覺得呢個工作係好值得做嘅。」

「我有兩個囡，佢哋兩個而家都喺英國生活。佢哋成日都問我：「媽，你幾時過嚟同我哋團聚？」諗咗好耐，我同佢哋講我決定要留喺香港。我好掛住我啲囡，但係我好鍾意喺度照顧我呢班老友記。我嘅工作俾到我好大滿足感，我唔想去第二度，呢個係我人生嘅使命！我好鼓勵年青人試吓呢個行業，就好似當年嘅我咁樣。呢個係好有意義同埋有滿足感嘅工作。要做一個好嘅護理員，你需要有愛心、細心同埋有耐性。老人家其實係經歷咗好多嘅普通人，我哋應該尊重同埋用心照顧佢哋。我好鍾意我份工，不過都係要花好多體力嘅，所以喺放假嘅時候，我鍾意放鬆吓、聽音樂同埋打麻雀！」