Tending to gardens and the elderly
Preparing the soil is hard and bespoke work for plants to thrive. So it is for our elders.
As the saying goes, my career has been a journey from "womb to tomb." My expertise in obstetrics has evolved into a focus on the senior population as CEO of St Luke's ElderCare. This transition has deepened my appreciation for life in all its stages. Avid gardener, I find motivation in inspiring stories of horticultural success and often find myself working under the sun to nurture my garden.
However, my green thumb is not as strong as I hope, and my plants often struggle under my care. Preparing the soil is a painstaking and specialized process - healthy soil is essential for robust plant growth, and I've learned from my own failed experiments that not all soils are suitable for all plants.
St Luke's ElderCare is committed to enriching the lives of seniors in Singapore through various services, including community-based programmes, centre-based offerings, home-based services, and residential care. When we began 20 years ago with four senior care centres, our facilities were basic and adaptable, serving as gathering spaces for a range of activities.
Over time, we have learned to design spaces that cater specifically to the needs of our senior residents, but the challenge remains to transform these spaces into environments where seniors can truly thrive.
Singapore's climate is unique, with wet, dry, hot, and hazy seasons. We learn to adapt to these changing conditions, accepting that the rhythms of life must also change accordingly. Each season of independence is followed by periods of dependence, and each season of activity is balanced by times of rest. These rhythms must be respected and nurtured, even as physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual needs change over time.
One remarkable example of this is Madam Kadariah, an 88-year-old resident with dementia who rarely participated in activities at our day centre. After Kelvin Lim played a familiar folk song for her, she began to sing and dance, revealing a side of her that we had never seen before. She even shared a touching compliment, saying "Hati sangat mulia (you have a noble heart)."
This moment of connection had unlocked a dormant part of her that was eager to bloom, waiting for the right moment, connection, and conditions to thrive. Cultivating gardens and lives requires hard work, heartfelt dedication, and a delicate balance between purposeful activity and contemplative reflection. As an avid gardener, I continue to observe and plant my observations, striving to create an environment where seniors can flourish with dignity, independence, and joy.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
