15 Volunteering Roles For The Elderly To Keep Themselves Engaged

By the year 2030, the number of Singaporeans aged 65 years and above will make up one quarter of the total population in Singapore, according to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). As an aging population, we will have more elderly seniors in our midst.

Besides striving for a healthy body, mental health is also of importance to retirees as they transition from spending most of their time working to now being left independently to spend their time. This could introduce issues such as an increased sense of loneliness, depression, self-isolation and more.

One way some retirees can choose to cope with this transition would be through volunteering.

Volunteering helps one to remain active through social engagement and completing tasks. Moreover, this is a good way for seniors to put whatever skills they have learnt in their previous jobs to good use as well. With such benefits, here are volunteering places seniors can consider to keep their minds engaged and at the same time, lend a hand to society.

Read Also: Do Singaporean Retirees Really Spend Lesser During Retirement? Here’s What We Found Out

Seniors-To-Seniors Volunteering Roles

NTUC Health

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)’s social enterprise, NTUC Health, is one of Singapore’s largest senior day care, nursing home and personal care providers. Besides providing an array of elderly care services and senior-friendly services, fellow senior citizens are welcomed to volunteer their spare time to support other senior residents in its 32 nursing homes and day care centres located island wide.

Roles And Programmes Offered

#1 Activity Coordinator
If you have an interest in event planning or a special talent you would like to share, NTUC Health offers an activity coordinator role. You’ll get to plan, coordinate and facilitate activities such as arts and crafts, movie screenings, board games workshops and more.

#2 Befriender
For those empathetic and friendly individuals who have a knack for socialising and communicating, you could consider becoming a befriender. This role includes paying regular visits to homebound seniors to provide companionship, create bonds and encourage social ties and engagement.

#3 Groomer
Calling all hairdressers, professional, self-taught or interested individuals. NTUC Health is offering a grooming role where you’ll trim, set, style and wash the hair of wheelchair bound seniors.

Besides these roles, NTUC Health also offers other volunteering roles such as medical escorts, outing coordinators, hygiene and maintenance assistant.

General Requirements: Ability to speak in English or Mother Tongue and one dialect
If you’re interested in volunteering, apply here.
Addresses of all 32 Nursing homes and Day Cares can be found here.

RSVP Singapore, The Organisation Of Senior Volunteers

RSVP Singapore mainly comprises of senior volunteers aiming to support socially isolated seniors, elderly patients discharged from hospitals, at-risk primary school children and mental health patients under rehabilitation. With a mission to develop more senior volunteers, this is just the place for seniors looking to spend their time volunteering.

Roles And Programmes Offered

#4 Cyber Guide Programme
Are you particularly skilled with computers and digital devices? Well, your skills will come in handy in RSVP’s IT courses where you’ll get to teach fellow seniors about basic computer and digital device skills. For example, in social media, developing videos and in using mobile devices. Training will be provided for interested volunteer trainers.

#5 Senior Guiding Programme
RSVP’s senior guiding programme welcomes those who are good with directions and can provide basic concierge and guiding services in respective venues around Singapore. Senior volunteers are to greet visitors, offer directions, general information, provide assistance and at times conduct guided tours for visitors. This includes locations such as hospitals, art galleries and heritage centres.

#6 Episodic Volunteering Roles
If you’re unable to volunteer long-term, RSVP also offers short term volunteering projects that enable seniors to discover different volunteering roles. These roles usually come about through collaborations with other welfare and charity organisations. Some of the roles include food sorting, packing or preparation, befriending sessions, beach clean-ups and learning journeys.

Besides these roles, RSVP also provides mentoring programmes for children and volunteering workshops for those looking to enhance their skills in volunteering.

General requirements: Commitment period of at least six months for programmes. Ability to speak in English or a second language or dialect.
If you’re interested in volunteering, apply here.
Address (HQ): 9 Bishan Place, #08-02/#09-03, Junction 8 Office Tower, Singapore 579837

Healthcare Volunteering Roles

SingHealth Community Hospitals 

SingHealth Community Hospitals comprises Singapore’s only cluster of community hospitals. The three hospitals are Bright Vision Community Hospital, Sengkang Community Hospital and Outram Community Hospital. Each hospital welcomes volunteers to provide personal companionship and joy to the lives of patients who require immediate and long-term medical care.

Roles And Programmes Offered

#7 Meal Translator
If you’re fluent in more than one language, you can lend your time and skills to help bridge the language gap between nurses and patients by acting as a translator when taking meal orders from patients. Some languages include Mandarin, Malay or other local dialects.

#8 Games Coordinator
Bingo, Rummy, Mahjong, Arts and Crafts are some of the games you can organise for and play with patients. Bring a smile to their faces by engaging in some friendly competition and by providing companionship at the same time.

#9 Exercise Helper
Engage in some physical exercise while encouraging patients to get fit as well at ActiveSG facilities or with Qigong which is an exercise similar to Tai Chi. Volunteers may need to help in the transporting of patients to relevant facilities as well.

Besides these roles, other volunteering roles include being a medical escort, hairdresser and performing and activity rooms or wards.

General requirements: Willingness to befriend and interact with patients
If you’re interested in volunteering, please email volunteers@singhealthch.com.sg or call +65 6930 7055
Addresses of all three SingHealth Community Hospitals can be found here.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH)

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital welcomes volunteers from all walks of life to provide support to patients and their loved ones during their recovery. The programmes offered also enables senior volunteers to engage in their favourite hobbies or discover new interests.

Roles And Programmes Offered

#10 Gardening and Horticulture Programmes
Have an interest in plants and gardening? KTPH is looking for avid gardeners and knowledgeable plant experts for their gardening and horticulture volunteering programmes. Spend your day gardening and maintaining the hospital’s rooftop gardens. You’ll also get the chance to plant various types of vegetables, fruits and herbs from eggplants to potatoes and mugwort. These crops will then be harvested and used in Yishun Health Kitchens.

For plant experts out there, you’ll get to share your knowledge and skills through horticulture group sessions where patients get to learn new or regain lost skills. Volunteers in this session will be mainly assisting the facilitators and guiding the patients during the potting of plants.

#11 Melodies from the Heart
Know how to play or sing a song or two? Share your talent with patients during their mealtimes with KTPH’s Melodies from the Heart programme. Get to treat the patients to the ultimate dining experience with live music to lift their spirits during their recovery process. Volunteers may perform with musical instruments or sing at the bedsides of patients.

#12 Mobile Library
Avid readers, here’s your chance to share your passion for books and reading by providing patients with a mobile library right at their bedsides. Volunteers will get to share their favourite classic reads with patients, engage in reading sessions and provide companionship.

Other volunteering roles include befriending programmes such as Patient Buddy, Exercise Buddy and Therapy Buddy where interested volunteers can provide the required support for each role.

General requirements: Two hours per volunteering session for a period of six months or a schedule can be worked out too.
If you’re interested in volunteering, apply here.
Address: 90 Yishun Central, Singapore 768828

Volunteering For Special Need Individuals 

Christian Outreach To The Handicapped (COH)

Supporting adults with intellectual disabilities, COH offers volunteering opportunities for individuals who empathise with persons with disabilities and are open to volunteering their time to brighten up the days of beneficiaries.

Roles And Programmes Offered

#13 Cooking
Have a flair for cooking? COH invites passionate cooks to teach beneficiaries simple recipes they can follow from sandwiches to pancakes so that they are able to develop their home living skills. Another role interested cooks can take on would be a kitchen assistant where volunteers will assist the main cook in preparing lunch for the day.

#14 Story Telling
If you’re one to entertain, here’s your chance to spark the imaginations of COH’s clients through engaging storytelling sessions. Put up a puppet show or come dressed as a character from your favourite book and harness your dramatics through this storytelling role.

#15 Teaching Arts & Crafts
Another creative role you could take on at COH would be an Arts and Crafts Teacher. If you’re a retired art teacher or simply enjoy art, this role is worth a try. Arts and Crafts helps individuals to improve their motor skills and practice moderation in their emotional responses.

Besides these roles, COH also offers befriending roles, dance instructor roles and other supporting roles.

General requirements: For enquiries call COH’s Volunteer and Community Relations Officer at +65 6787 3200
If you’re interested in volunteering, apply here.
Address: Block 414 Tampines Street 41, #01-301, Singapore 520414

Read Also: 13 Places To Volunteer At During The Summer

The post 15 Volunteering Roles For The Elderly To Keep Themselves Engaged appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.