Contribution Name: Lions Befrienders
Pseudonym: Zhi Ling and Mr Goh
Year of Author: 1950
“Zhi Ling is very, very good,” Mr Goh exclaims repeatedly, while gesturing fervently towards the young woman seated opposite him. He peppers his sentences with earnest nods, making his conviction evident.
Zhi Ling has been Mr Goh’s Caring Assistance from Neighbours (CAN) carer for over a year. As his CAN carer, she visits him at his home every week and assists Lions Befrienders (LB) staff to ensure his overall well-being. CAN carers and LB staff work together hand in hand; the former help to monitor and remind their seniors to take their medication dutifully and go for medical appointments, and should there be any negative changes in the seniors’ well-being, the staff will be alerted to take follow-up action. In this aspect, Zhi Ling has played an integral role. She acts as a middleman, and helps to highlight medical related issues to the home nursing staff. With his age catching up with him, Zhi Ling’s constant health reminders prove to be a means of combating Mr Goh’s declining memory.
Exemplifying this point, Mr Goh turns to Zhi Ling and asks “Can you remind me again?” Lamenting that he has an extremely strict diet to abide by during the days leading up to his CT colonography appointment, he ruffles his hair in slight annoyance and laughs sheepishly.
The bond forged between them is apparent from the numerous praises sung about Zhi Ling’s admirable qualities, the easy flow of conversation and mutual understanding they share. In particular, it is worth noting how observant Zhi Ling is to Mr Goh’s emotions. Picking up on the slightest quiver in his voice as he divulges the burdens riding on his shoulders, she immediately checks on him with a concerned “Are you okay?” These simple three words, while seemingly insignificant, reveal the degree of attentiveness Zhi Ling displays towards Mr Goh and offers boundless warmth – there is comfort in the knowledge that one is cared for, such that the subtlest of changes in emotions do not go unnoticed.
Before Mr Goh can answer how Zhi Ling has impacted his life, she playfully chimes in that he can feel free to comment on her negative points without her taking offence. To which, he replies with a rhetorical question without any trace of hesitation “What’s not good about you?”
One can hardly disagree with Mr Goh’s response. As a CAN carer, the commitment required is not to be underestimated. Zhi Ling admits that one of the challenges she faces is the scheduling of her appointments, as she has to ensure that her plans do not clash with her Saturday visits to Mr Goh’s home. Her efforts are, however, not unpaid. Her face lights up as she recounts how she is heartened by the establishment of trust in their relationship over the span of the year as Mr Goh’s CAN carer. Moved by her sincerity, Mr Goh has begun confiding in Zhi Ling, even regarding personal matters which he fears sharing with his kin.
“You don’t need any skills, you just need to be a human,” Zhi Ling shrugs, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. To those who are daunted by the prospect of volunteering, she offers a piece of advice: to just jump in and get to know the seniors as fellow humans with individual strengths and achievements, instead of a client or forgotten elderly. Zhi Ling and Mr Goh’s story highlights the crucial role that volunteers alike her undertake in alleviating the lives of seniors at risk of social isolation. With the addition of each volunteer, the dim world of these seniors gets a tad bit brighter. Join Lions Befrienders as a CAN carer today, and make a difference.
**你也可以做出改变**”
志玲非常非常好，”吴先生一边激动地用手势指向对面坐着的年轻女子，一边反复强调。他的句子中充满了真诚的点头，显示出他的坚定信念。
志玲已经作为吴先生的“邻里关怀助理”（CAN）护理员超过一年。作为他的CAN护理员，她每周都会到他家中拜访，并协助狮子乐龄之友（Lions Befrienders, LB）的工作人员确保他的整体福祉。CAN护理员和LB工作人员密切合作，前者帮助监测和提醒老人按时服药并参加医疗预约；如果老人的健康状况有任何负面变化，工作人员会立即得到通知并采取后续行动。在这方面，志玲发挥了重要作用。她充当中间人，帮助将与医疗相关的问题反馈给家庭护理人员。随着年纪的增长，志玲不断的健康提醒成为了吴先生应对记忆衰退的一种方式。
为了证明这一点，吴先生转向志玲，问道：“你能再提醒我一次吗？”他哀叹在即将到来的CT结肠镜检查前，他必须严格遵守饮食规定，烦躁地揉了揉头发，然后不好意思地笑了。
从他们之间流露出的赞美之词、轻松的对话和相互理解中，可以明显看出他们之间建立的深厚情谊。尤其值得注意的是，志玲对吴先生情绪的敏感度。当他透露肩上的重担时，志玲立刻察觉到他声音中最轻微的颤抖，并立刻关切地问道：“你还好吗？”这简简单单的三个字，虽然看似微不足道，却体现了志玲对吴先生的高度关注，并带来了无尽的温暖——知道有人在关心自己，哪怕是最微小的情绪变化也不会被忽视，这是一种安慰。
在吴先生能回答志玲如何影响了他的生活之前，她开玩笑地插话说他可以随意评论她的缺点，她不会介意。对此，他毫不犹豫地反问道：“你有什么不好的吗？”
几乎没有人会不同意吴先生的回答。作为一名CAN护理员，所需的投入不可低估。志玲承认，她面临的挑战之一是安排好她的预约，因为她必须确保自己的计划不会与周六拜访吴先生的行程发生冲突。不过，她的努力并没有白费。当她谈到在这一年里作为吴先生的CAN护理员，他们之间建立的信任关系时，她的脸上露出了欣慰的笑容。被她的真诚打动，吴先生甚至开始向志玲倾诉一些他不敢与亲人分享的个人问题。
“你不需要任何技能，你只需要有人性，”志玲耸耸肩，嘴角扬起了微笑。对于那些对志愿服务感到畏惧的人，她提供了一条建议：勇敢迈出第一步，去了解这些老人为有各自优点和成就的普通人，而不是作为客户或被遗忘的老人。志玲和吴先生的故事突显了志愿者在帮助那些有社会隔离风险的老人方面所起的重要作用。每增加一位志愿者，这些老人的黯淡世界就会稍微明亮一些。加入狮子乐龄之友，成为一名CAN护理员，改变生活。
This story is reposted from Lions Befrienders website – Lions Befrienders Website
This heartwarming narrative comes from Lions Befrienders, an organisation dedicated to journey alongside seniors. To learn more about their services, visit Lions Befrienders Services.
This work includes translation generated by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.
此作品包含由OpenAI开发的AI语言模型ChatGPT生成的翻译内容。