Discover how a pair of retirees are bringing joy and connection to seniors—including those living with dementia—at MWS Senior Care Centre – Eunos.
Connecting with seniors through touch and memories
“Is it painful for you?” asks Lili Koh, 67, as she massages the hand of Lim Bee Choo, a wheelchair-bound client at MWS Senior Care Centre – Eunos. “See, your hands aren’t so cold now. Rub them together like this—show me? Very good! That will help your blood circulation and you won’t feel as cold.”
Since August 2024, Lili has been providing hand massages to seniors alongside fellow members from Christ Methodist Church, after observing that clients with dementia were often left out of activities. “Even when they are included in large group programmes, without adjustments, they can feel isolated,” she explains. “For those with more advanced dementia, conversation is difficult, so we connect with them through the sense of touch.”
Last year, the former enrichment teacher also conducted a reminiscence facilitation programme for seniors. Using different themes, the sessions sparked conversations about occupations, favourite places and old friendships. An in-house cooking activity even had clients plucking bean sprouts and tasting the fruits of their labour. “They reminisced about cooking, their favourite foods and running households. Through these sessions, even the quieter seniors opened up and felt uplifted,” she recalls, adding, “Reminiscence is a simple yet powerful way to engage them and give them a chance to hear their own voices.”
Have a heart for seniors?
From door-to-door outreach to leading morning exercise sessions, there are many ways you can volunteer with seniors. As The Methodist Church in Singapore marks its 140th Anniversary, its social concerns arm, Methodist Welfare Services, is rallying members to collectively contribute 1.4 million volunteer hours through The Healing Nation initiative—that’s just 35 hours per person to uplift lives. Scan the QR code to find out more.
By the Methodist Welfare Services Communications Team. / Photos courtesy of Methodist Welfare Services
