Healthcare Humanity Awards – Alice Choo, Senior Medical Social Worker, Ren Ci Hospital

After meeting so many patients during my 12 years in the Community Care sector, I know how important it is to educate my clients about ‘living well, leaving well’. Aside from counselling patients and families, I also initiated a memorial programme for residents who have passed away in order to provide a platform for other residents to express their feelings about death and what it means.

The memorable cases in my palliative care work are definitely clients who finally managed to return home from the hospital after going through many hurdles, and those who initially struggled with the system but managed to clear them up and move forward.

I keep in touch with some of my clients and their loved ones, although some of them have passed away. Each passing saddens me, but I'm glad to be a part of my clients' lives during the last stretch of their journey. That's what is so special about my work. I think it is about the invitation to journey with someone during their difficult period, sharing what we learn together and discovering ways, understandings and meanings during such a time.

Alice Choo image credit: The Courage Fund