Like Ng, he sees the restoration of relationships as a big part of his work. He gets great satisfaction when — a month or two after his family conferences for patients — some seniors report that their children visit more often.
Describing the feeling, he said: “Wow, you did something good for this family.”
To reduce the risk of elder abuse, Ng issued a call to “break the secrecy”, given that it often happens within the household.
The elderly would rather not air their dirty linen in public, which could encourage perpetrators to continue the abuse. Thus, it is important for other family members, neighbours and even strangers to show care and concern for seniors, Ng said.
Simple things like saying hello can go a long way towards showing seniors that someone cares for them, and this could encourage them to reach out if they need help, she said.
People must also not have the mindset that the elderly are a burden and unable to contribute any more, she added. “Those kinds of mindsets are very fertile ground for abuse to take place,” she stressed.
“So I feel it’s important for us to create platforms where seniors can contribute and … find meaning in what they’re doing.”
To find out how Valencia Ng and Jonathan Chong got resourceful to help abused seniors, tune in to Heavy Duty by CNA Insider.
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