A Day in the Life of Mr Wee
When 74-year-old Mr Wee first moved to Whampoa last year, he didn’t expect to find a place he could call his second home. Mr Wee was initially an Active Ageing Hub (AAH) member at Kwong Wai Shiu Community Care Centre @McNair (KWS CCC @ McNair), spending his days with friends he made there. After undergoing a tracheostomy procedure as a result of Parkinson’s disease, he was recommended to become a Senior Care Centre member as well. Since then, he has been going to the centre for maintenance day care and nursing services every day.
Every morning, Mr Wee joins in an exercise session with fellow seniors. He shared that he initially wasn’t able to do simple exercises such as lifting up his leg very well. After participating in the sessions daily, he is now better able to do them. Following the exercise sessions, clients could choose to either participate in cognitive-stimulating activities such as arts and crafts and bingo, or they could make use of the resources in the centre to do their own reading and learning. This is when Mr Wee reads the newspaper for his daily dose of current affairs.
In the afternoon, Mr Wee exercises at the gym, with close supervision by KWS CCC staff. He is allocated suitable exercise equipment such as the treadmill and leg exercise machines, and is taught how to use them. Mr Wee’s medical needs are also taken care of as his blood pressure is monitored and tracheostomy tube cleaned and changed daily.
After Mr Wee heads home, he continues to be supported through KWS’s assisted living and home care services. For example, he may request for assistance with grocery shopping, cleaning and medical appointments. His home is also equipped with an emergency pull cord to alert KWS CCC and his neighbours. In addition, a home nurse visits him regularly to pack three weeks of medication, which will be administered to him at the centre.
Sharing his thoughts on KWS CCC, Mr Wee said, “The centre is very beneficial to me. It gives me freedom and is very convenient as it is located just beside my block. I also think that this is the best place to meet people and make sincere friends. Every day, when I wake up, I know that there’s a place I can go to. I also recommend others to come here and hope that the centre will encourage more senior residents to do so.”
Officially opened on 11 November 2017, KWS CCC @ McNair is the first AAH in Singapore. The one-stop centre provides day rehabilitative care services and social programmes for the elderly. To date, they have benefited over 600 members. A second Community Care Centre is set to open at St. George’s Lane in 2019.
