‘I treat every senior as I would a member of my own family’: A home care nurse on finding his calling
Caring for his late father showed senior staff nurse R Subramaniam what families go through. Now he helps them manage illness at home.
R. Subramaniam, a senior staff nurse with Methodist Welfare Services (MWS), is dedicated to providing home care and end-of-life support to his patients. His journey into nursing began with the loss of his father, who was diagnosed with lung cancer seven years ago and chose to receive care at home. Subramaniam's experience caring for his father inspired him to pursue a career in nursing, where he now helps patients manage chronic conditions and provides guidance to families and domestic helpers on end-of-life care.
Working as a senior staff nurse at MWS, Subramaniam visits patients' homes for 45 minutes to two hours each day, assisting with medication management and teaching family members and helpers how to perform tasks such as wound dressing and injection administration. He also provides home hospice care to patients who require injections to manage pain or shortness of breath.
Despite many patients having less than a year to live, Subramaniam's role extends beyond end-of-life care, as he helps families identify symptoms and determine when to seek further medical advice. One patient, a 70-year-old man with end-stage kidney failure, initially refused further dialysis treatment. However, after a month of Subramaniam's intervention, the patient agreed to accept the help and even underwent cataract surgery, greatly improving his quality of life.
Subramaniam's work highlights the importance of community care, particularly as Singapore's elderly population grows. By providing skilled nursing care, compassion, and reassurance to seniors, Subramaniam and other community care professionals help alleviate the strain on families and ensure seniors receive the care they need in the comfort of their homes.
On Community Care Day, it is important to recognize and appreciate the dedication of professionals like Subramaniam who bring skilled nursing care, compassion, and reassurance to seniors, allowing them to maintain their quality of life at home.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
