Tamil Murasu – An Excursion that Brought Joy to the Residents of a Nursing Home
A special outing was organised to help reduce social isolation among seniors and bring excitement to their daily lives.
Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) and the Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society jointly brought nursing home residents to the Singapore Oceanarium.
The event began on Monday, 20 April, and continued on 21, 23 and 24 April.
The project was funded through a S$1 million Empowering Communities Fund supported by the Singapore National Co-operative Federation and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
A total of 22 projects are supported under the fund, with contributions from the Central Co-operative Fund (CCF), the Government and the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF).
Mr Radhakrishnan, Honorary Secretary of the Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society, noted that the society is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
About 120 seniors took part in the four-day outing. Mr Radhakrishnan said the Singapore Oceanarium was chosen for its wheelchair-accessible facilities and its quiet, air-conditioned environment, which is safe and comfortable for seniors.
Volunteers from all walks of life, including women’s welfare groups, polytechnic students and secondary school students, came forward to support the seniors.
On the first day, 11 volunteers from the Singapore Mercantile Co-operative Society, seven from Sree Narayana Mission (including three nurses) and 13 from the Sri Ramanuja Society (Singapore) took part in the programme.
“The basic objective of this event is to ensure that the seniors feel they are part of the community,” said Ms Reshma Tazim, 25, Programmes Executive at Sree Narayana Mission.
The outing brought joy to the seniors and left a strong emotional impression.
Madam Adigal Ammal, 86, said the outing gave her peace of mind and that she especially enjoyed watching the fish.
Another participant, Mr Naraja, 67, said he was thrilled to see the sharks. The visit also brought back memories of fishing when he was younger.
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