Toa Payoh / Community Health / Befrienders

About the Activity

Care Corner's Senior Care Centres / Social Day Care Centre are looking for volunteers to befriend seniors through face-to-face interactions.

The aim is to provide social support to these seniors, encourage them to participate in the planned activities, and to support the centre staff in ensuring the safety & wellbeing of the seniors.

Volunteers must be:

• Preferably 18 years old and above (Students, Working Adults, Retirees, Seniors are welcomed!)
• Able to converse with seniors in Mandarin (preferred) and English or preferably in 1 other local dialect
• Able to commit for a minimum of 3 months period (typically the commitment is 1 year)
• Dressed appropriately: Smart causal: knee-length bottoms, covered shoes.

Other Requirements

• Strict adherence to the current COVID-19 precautionary measures.
• Should the volunteer be unwell or receive text messages from MOH regarding their close contact with a positive COVID-19 case, the volunteer will have to inform the staff-in-charge and not proceed on to volunteer until he/she is cleared.
• Mandatory to masked-up when in centres.

Note:

• Exact dates of volunteering to be decided and agreed by both the staff in-charge and the volunteer. However, to promote familiarity and bonding between the senior and volunteer, volunteers are expected to commit regularly (at least once/twice per week).
• Experience in senior befriending is a bonus, but not necessary as guidance will be provided.

Volunteers are expected to:

• Engage 6-8 seniors at their activity tables and have conversations with them
• Encourage seniors to participate in the planned activities (i.e. morning exercises, games, crafts)
• Be patient, polite, sensitive and respectful to the needs of seniors, and be able to discern appropriate conversation topics
• Be proactive, responsible and accountable for other minor tasks assigned

Locations & Time of Volunteering Activity:

1) Social Day Care @ 235 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh OR

2) Senior Care Centre @ 261A Toa Payoh East OR

3) Senior Care Centre @ 131 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh

Note:

Volunteers may arrange to have lunch / afternoon tea (provided by the centre) together with the seniors, depending on their shift(s).