ENDS TUESDAY: Sea Horse 20% OFF all products till 30 May!
Sea Horse: 20% off ALL products for 5-days only from 26 – 30 May 2017
Sea Horse is having a special promotion featuring 20% OFF all products promotion. The promotion runs for five days only till 30 May 2017
SINGAPORE: It was with some trepidation that Madam Noor Hayatee Nordin, agreed to care for a 12 year-old foster child in 2016.
“I had some misconceptions about older children, that they would be sulky and rebellious,” she recalled. “I also thought he would try to ‘test the water’ a lot.”
But she was pleasantly surprised when Adrian* first appeared on her doorstep. “When he arrived, I saw him at the gate, and he was waving at me,” she said. “I thought he was going to be unfriendly, but he proved me wrong.”
“I immediately invited him in and I knew he was going to be happy here.”
Decorated in bright, cheery shades of pink and green, her flat in Punggol is currently home to two foster children – seven-year-old Yasir* and 11-month-old Arif*. Yasir, her first foster child, joined her family when he was five, while Arif, a wide-eyed, smiling baby, turned up in January this year. Adrian has since left her care after being with her six months.
Yasir enjoys drawing, and some of the work he and Mdm Hayatee have done together decorate the walls of his room. Some of the pieces bear the word ‘Ibu’: which is what Yasir and the rest of the foster children call Mdm Hayatee. Mother.
Mdm Hayatee’s foster child Yasir* enjoys creating art work with her. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
MORE FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED FOR OLDER CHILDREN; THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Mdm Hayatee’s earlier misconceptions about older children is a possible reason why most foster parents indicate a preference for younger children – defined as below the age of seven.
In this year’s Committee of Supply Debate, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Faishal Ibrahim noted that more children were being placed on the fostering scheme. There were 420 foster families in 2016, which is a 73 per cent increase from the 243 families in 2013.
But he also stressed the need for foster parents for older children or those with special needs.
“Older children generally have a bit more awareness and the maturity to understand things around them,” explained Amina Maisara, a senior foster care officer with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). “They would have gone through more and seen more of their family environment. And on top of that, children over 12 would also have typical teenage issues which could be a bit of a challenge.
“That’s why foster parents are usually a bit more hesitant to come on board to care for these children.”
Some of the reasons foster children come into care is if they have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Their parents could also have passed away, are in jail, or are otherwise unable to care for them.
Of the 430 foster children on MSF’s fostering scheme, about half of them are aged seven years or older. MSF was unable to share figures on the number of foster children with special needs, but they generally have medical issues or have been diagnosed with conditions like autism.
“Foster parents for children with special needs would have a higher commitment,” said Ms Amina. “It can be more onerous, because they have to attend to the child…not just basic care, but medical needs as well.”
To this end, MSF provides a higher monthly allowance of S$1,114 for each foster child with special needs that a foster parent cares for, compared to S$936 for a child without special needs. The allowance is intended to cover the daily expenses of the child, like food and tuition. All foster children also have a medical fee exemption card to cover all their medical expenses at polyclinics and government hospitals.
NOT LOOKING BACK
When Mdm Hayatee first signed up to become a foster parent, she had indicated a preference for children up to the age of four.
She explained that she had no children of her own, but had been a babysitter to a two-year-old toddler before. “I felt more comfortable taking care of younger children,” she said. “But when MSF gave me a call and asked me to accept a five-year-old, I decided to just give it a shot.”
And she has not looked back since.
“I won’t deny that there are challenges – whether with a five-year-old or with a 12-year-old, but it all depends on how you handle them,” she said, adding that the satisfaction of loving and caring for these children far outweighs the challenges.
“When they misbehave and I need to punish them, I know they will not hate me for it or resent me,” she said. “They understand and accept my gesture, and sometimes they will come up to me, say they’re sorry and hug me.
“Once, they said I was the best Ibu in the world, and they have never felt like this before,” she added. “I was so touched I cried, and they hugged me. We all ended up crying together.”
Mdm Hayatee says the satisfaction of caring for these foster children far outweighs the challenges. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
And older foster children can indeed be more aware of the love and care of their foster parents, according to 19-year-old Amanda*, who has been in a foster family since she was seven.
“I guess if I hadn’t been in a foster family, I would have been in a children’s home, and I don’t think the care they would have given me would’ve been the same as what my foster mother gave me. It’s exactly what my mother and father could have given me,” she said.
She admitted that there were points in time where she rebelled and lied to her foster mother, resulting in “very bad scoldings”.
But she said she knew her foster mother was doing it out of love.
“I think a lot of people may think that it’s when a child is young that you get the chance to mould them, but it was different for me,” she added. “The child you’re taking care of can feel the love, care and concern you’re giving them, and even if they’re rebellious, they can see that you’re trying to change them into a better person, and they will feel it and change.”
Moving forward, Mdm Hayatee hopes to care for a child with special needs next.
“When I see stories about children waiting for foster parents to take them home, I feel that I just want to take them all,” she said.
“I know I can’t – but I hope that other foster parents out there will be able to take them in, because they need you and they need us.”
*The names of the foster children in this story have been changed for privacy reasons.
SINGAPORE: An expanded cycling network in and around the Central Business District is in the works, authorities said on Sunday (May 28) at the official unveiling of the Bencoolen Street cycling path.
The new Central Area network will see more vehicle lanes turned into sidewalks, and a shared bicycle and walking path lining Coleman Street and Armenian Street, linking cyclists to areas like Marina Bay and Fort Canning Park.
In a joint release, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said one vehicle lane on Coleman Street and Waterloo Street each will be reclaimed. The National Parks Board will also turn part of Armenian Street into an urban park.
There is currently no fixed date for the completion of the Central Area cycling network, and LTA said it will be calling a tender for its design and construction in the coming months.
Proposed Central Area cycling network. (Graphic: LTA, URA)
The move comes as authorities reclaim more road space and create more walking and cycling paths, in a bid to nudge Singaporeans towards using cycling as a form of transport, amid increasing land constraints and an ageing rail system.
By 2030, authorities say they hope to more than double the current 240km of cycling paths, linking HDB estates to park connectors and the city centre.
The Central Area network, which currently consists of a 9.3km cycling path in the Marina Bay area will connect, among other areas, to the east of Singapore via East Coast Park. It will also be linked to the Bencoolen Street cycling path alongside other features to make the area more friendly for cyclists and pedestrians.
First announced in November 2016, changes to Bencoolen Street include converting two of four car lanes converted into pedestrian paths. Over 125 new bicycle parking lots have also been installed along the street.
The 450m Bencoolen Street cycling path links up to Queenstown-City to the west, Bishan-City and the North South Corridor to the north, and the Central Area network to the south.
The unveiling of Bencoolen Street was part of Car Free Sunday – an initiative to close off certain roads for public activities, first launched in 2016.
COMMUTERS CAN CONTINUE TO BRING FOLDABLE BICYCLES, PMDS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT FROM JUN 1
From Jun 1, 2017, commuters can continue to carry foldable bicycles and personal mobility devices (PMDs) on board public transport at all hours of the day, following the end of a six month trial, the Land Transport Authority also announced on Sunday. About 30 to 35 commuters bring these devices on board per day during peak hour, at stations like Jurong East, Bishan, and Serangoon interchange.
“The trial showed that most commuters were accepting of others bringing foldable bicycles and PMDs on board public transport,” said LTA Deputy Chief Executive for Public Transport, Jeremy Yap. “While we see more commuters carrying these devices into train stations during the trial, the majority were responsible and observed the stipulated rules and guidelines.”
SINGAPORE: Before the iconic Steve Jobs of Apple fame died of pancreatic cancer in 2011, he spoke poignantly of his terminal illness: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
This is the kind of inspirational philosophy that should resonate when we think about how to approach healthcare for those with terminal illness.
As Singapore’s largest home hospice care provider, HCA provides free services to about 70 per cent of home hospice patients in Singapore. We operate both home hospice care and a day care service for patients who are well enough to move about independently and would enjoy social activities in a communal setting.
Patients are accepted based on referrals from their primary care doctor and must meet specified criteria.
The home hospice care model allows terminally ill patients to stay at home and for the nurses and doctors to come to them instead. (Photo: AP)
We see an average of about 800 patients with life-limiting illnesses at any one time, with about 3,500 admissions per year. Patients who are referred to us typically have a prognosis of 12 months or less. Our average length of service is about three months.
While these statistics may seem bleak, the miracle of life always seem to defy the odds: While 2,000 of the admissions each year do pass on, there are about 700 patients who are discharged.
Just imagine, one in five of our patients may be well enough to be discharged. They may go back to their own primary physicians for ongoing standard care and other regular home medical care services. Some even return to their own family GPs (general practitioners) just like before.
Based on a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, research has demonstrated that a group of lung cancer patients under palliative care not only lived longer compared to those receiving standard care, they also had a better quality of life and enjoy better mental well-being.
These patients also experienced significantly lower depressive symptoms than those in the standard care groups, according to the same report.
Although many researchers are still trying to decipher what exactly contributed to this astonishing finding, it is actually not a surprise to practitioners like us who do encounter some amazing outcomes among our patients.
Many come to us with an initial prognosis of a few months, but go on to live out their supposed terminal illness for many years.
A RAY OF LIGHT IN THOSE LAST DARK DAYS
There are key differences between home hospice care and institutional care where patients receive palliative care within a healthcare facility.
Indeed, there are economic arguments for moving those with terminal illness to a separate facility where they can be collectively taken care of by dedicated and trained staff on hand, and looked after 24/7 to help them manage their symptoms and ensure their safety as they move about.
For families with no one around to take care of these patients, this option may indeed be the best option.
Although hard-won health and safety practices and rules may win over family members, however, patients in these facilities and their loved ones are subject to various regulations including restrictions on visiting hours and meal times.
In all fairness, this is necessary to avoid disruptions to and ensure the smooth running of such healthcare facilities.
There are key differences between home hospice care and institutional care where patients receive palliative care within a healthcare facility. (Photo: AP)
But for many patients already having to deal with the idea that a terminal illness is cutting their lifespan short, is moving into a new environment, without the warm familiarity of “normal” family life, really a better alternative?
We must ask ourselves, is a life of safety what most people want for themselves in those last stages? What do these restrictions mean for the patient’s sense of control and individuality, for people who are living their last days?
Do they feel a sense of fear and despair when they are housed in the same place with others “in the same situation”? Are they not constantly reminded of the painful realities and the close to little chance they have of surviving their condition?
In this regard, home hospice care, which provides daily door-to-door visits with meals and activities for patients, can be a ray of light in their lives.
During each session, nurses render medical services including pain management and change of dressing, as well as non-clinical services including counseling family members to prepare them mentally for the eventuality of the patient’s passing.
HCA provides home hospice care for free as we understand that living within an institution or some other medical facility may be expensive and often not necessary for the patient who will be better off living with his or her family.
With a medical professional just a phone call away and pacing alongside at every step of their journey, patients have fuller assurance and confidence to face the path ahead.
The assurance of having a hospice care professional available 24 hours a day, every day of the week, affirms hope as patients are encouraged to add life to their remaining days. (Photo: HCA)
More importantly, they are enabled to life their lives out as “normally” and independently as possible, giving them personal dignity and individual freedom.
To answer why patients who receive palliative care seem to lead better lives, perhaps not all things are found in quantifiable data – death is real, but so is hope. When one struggles with unrelieved pain from progressive disease, the will to live can only wane.
However, this will to live and strive on can be re-ignited when hospice care staff facilitate important conversations about facing and even conquering fears.
The positive impact of this open discussion on patients, caregivers and families can be great. The mindful, compassionate and patient-centred approach to care brings dignity to the process.
This dignity often gets lost when one falls gravely ill and has to depend on others for simple, daily chores. It is ironic that dignity is what patients seek most as they face their final challenges in life.
FINDING A MUTUAL FRIENDSHIP IN THE FINAL JOURNEY
Nurses who travel to our patients’ doorsteps are not just healthcare staff; they become so sensitised to patients’ personal needs that they go the extra mile to address non-clinical issues: This includes cutting their hair, helping with household chores and even finding volunteers to photograph family portraits for patients and their loved ones.
One nurse I know even went as far to arrange for a five-year-old boy to visit the zoo because he loved dinosaurs and wanted to see one such exhibition held there.
Others also facilitate patients’ request to leave behind a lasting legacy through special projects. Whether these are their personal expressions in artwork, or a cookbook of treasured family recipes, these projects have helped many patients and families find a more complete closure.
In all these, I find that our people involved in home hospice care have suddenly become more than palliative care practitioners to our patients. They have become family friends.
And this friendship is mutual because our patients in turn enrich our own lives. In the many earnest conversations we have had with patients, we were privileged to witness their finding meaning in suffering and demonstration of courage and grace despite the ravages of their debilitating illnesses.
These courageous qualities that are brought to bear serves to underscore the critical spiritual care that resonates throughout our care approach. This elusive element of uplifting the spirit often defies objective, clinical measurements.
Our care philosophy is to assist the terminally ill live well while at home and more than 50 per cent of our patients are able to pass on comfortably, surrounded by the care and love of their family members.
While we all have to make the final journey ourselves, it is perhaps not the distance we should focus on, but the daily pace of the final lap.
Dr Chong Poh Heng is the Medical Director of HCA Hospice Care.
This is the fourth commentary in Channel NewsAsia’s series exploring key issues and challenges facing patients with terminal illness and care at the end of life.
The Singaporean super-featherweight lasted four rounds against Tanzania’s Fadhili Majiha before securing the victory at the co-main event of Roar of Singapore II at Resorts World Sentosa on Saturday (May 27).
Singaporean boxer Muhamad Ridhwan faces off against Tanzanian World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African champion Fadhili Majiha at Resorts World Sentosa. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
SINGAPORE: Singaporean boxer Muhamad Ridhwan “The Chosen One” has become the country’s first professional world title holder.
The 29-year-old beat Tanzanian World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African champion Fadhili Majiha via KO after four rounds, to win the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) world super-featherweight (58.97kg) title.
“I’m having a lot of mixed feelings right now, but most importantly I’m happy to be able to make the fans proud, the Singaporean people proud, and it’s an amazing feeling,” said Ridhwan after the bout. “I’m very honoured to give this victory to them.”
Tanzanian World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African champion Fadhili Majiha is knocked down by Singaporean boxer Muhamad Ridhwan during their bout at Resorts World Sentosa. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
Coming into the title fight with seven wins in seven fights of his pro boxing career, Ridhwan overcame the odds in a tough contest against 23-year-old Majiha, who had 20 wins, eight draws and four losses prior to the bout.
It was an aggressive battle from the get-go by Ridhwan – part of his plan to “break down” his Tanzanian opponent.
“The plan was to (wear) him down round-by-round,” said Ridhwan. “(My team) knows that he’s fast and the intention was to go for his body, throw the jabs and disrupt his rhythm. Only then would I go for his openings.”
“True enough, he made a mistake in the fourth round in which he took the last 10 seconds to rest, and so I capitalised.”
“(My team) knows that if we’re follow the game plan, the knock-out would come eventually. The trick is to never look for it, eventually it will come,” he added.
According to Ridhwan, the vocal home support helped his confidence. “The crowd was amazing. It was as if they were playing a computer game as they kept shouting: ‘Throw more punches!’.”
“It definitely helped as the plan was to push forward and impose my will and skill on the opponent. The cheering certainly motivated me along the way,” said the Legends Fight Sport gym owner.
His victory in the co-main event of Roar of Singapore II at Resorts World Sentosa means that Ridhwan, a three-time SEA Games bronze medallist, has now won his second professional title belt in seven weeks.
The Singaporean pugilist also won the World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia super-featherweight title last month, after beating Indonesia’s Waldo Sabu at the Singapore Fighting Championship’s “Combat Redefined” event at Foochow Building.
“I’m now going to take a short break, have some prata and think of what’s next with my trainer and manager,” added Ridhwan. “Hopefully it’s onward to more big fights and big promotions.”
Having contemplated quitting boxing for good at one point in his career, the 29-year-old said that he is happy to have made the right choice to stay. “I’m very glad that I stayed on with the sport, as (back then) every day was a constant struggle to consider whether or not to continue or to stop boxing.”
He added: “With support from everyone, my sponsors PSB Academy and my gym members, it has been a great journey and let’s hope for more success.”
The Singaporean super-featherweight lasted four rounds against Tanzania’s Fadhili Majiha before securing the victory at the main event of Roar of Singapore II at Resorts World Sentosa on Saturday (May 27).
Singaporean boxer Muhamad Ridhwan faces off against Tanzanian World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African champion Fadhili Majiha at Resorts World Sentosa. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
SINGAPORE: Singaporean boxer Muhamad Ridhwan “The Chosen One” has become the country’s first professional world title holder.
The 29-year-old beat Tanzanian World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African champion Fadhili Majiha via KO after four rounds, to win the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) world super-featherweight (58.97kg) title.
Tanzanian World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African champion Fadhili Majiha is knocked down by Singaporean boxer Muhamad Ridhwan during their bout at Resorts World Sentosa. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
Coming into the title fight with seven wins in seven fights of his pro boxing career, Ridhwan overcame the odds in a tough battle against 23-year-old Majiha, who had 20 wins, eight draws and four losses prior to the bout.
His victory in the main event of Roar of Singapore II at Resorts World Sentosa means that Ridhwan, a three-time SEA Games bronze medallist, has now won his second professional title belt in seven weeks.
The Singaporean pugilist also won the World Boxing Association (WBA) Asia super-featherweight title last month, after beating Indonesia’s Waldo Sabu at the Singapore Fighting Championship’s “Combat Redefined” event at Foochow Building.
