Eldercare scheme to woo part-timers

By Salma Khalik, The Straits Times, 4 Oct 2012

IN AN attempt to reduce reliance on foreign workers, NTUC Eldercare has split one job into three, to attract locals to take on part-time work.

It will pay market rates and train these workers to be therapists, befrienders or carers.

Under the pilot project started a month back, it hopes to recruit 90 workers for these jobs.

They get 16 hours of core training on how to help the elderly move around and to prevent falls, followed by 24 hours of training in the area of work they choose.

Mr Voon Chin Seng, 53, is one of 14 people who have signed up so far. He had given up his job as a horticulturalist two years ago to look after his ailing father.

His father's condition has since improved, and although he still needs to be cared for, he can be left for several hours a day.

Mr Voon now works at the NTUC Silver Circle at Fengshan, which provides the elderly with daycare services such as therapy.

Under the scheme, he works 20 hours a week. He said: "They're very flexible whether you work full-day or half-day. You can also swop with others if you need to." He chooses to work four hours in the afternoons, five days a week. For the first three months, he is under probation and gets $5 an hour.

But for him, money is not the main issue. He said: "It is good to serve the elderly who have contributed much to society." Also, the skills he learns at the centre help him to care for his father.

Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State for Health and Manpower, said that it is important to tap this "hidden labour force", which includes 4,700 trained nurses and more than 55,000 women aged 25 to 59.

This scheme is one of her initiatives as chairman of manpower development under the Ministerial Committee on Ageing.

Ms Sandy Gng is a return-to-work mum, who has spent the past 20 years looking after her husband, children, parents and parents-in-law. With the death of her in-laws, she had time to take up this job.

She now works part-time as an iCare Officer - helping the elderly who are living at home to do their chores. The elderly woman she is helping loves her cooking, while Ms Gng enjoys listening to her stories of times gone by.

Dr Khor said: "By offering part-time jobs in this sector, we can increase labour force participation from housewives and retirees, equip them with new skills and a fresh income source, and at the same time augment the full-time workforce in this booming sector."

With Singapore's rapidly ageing society - one in five will be over 65 in 20 years' time - the number needed to look after the frail elderly will triple from the 4,000 now working in the sector.