Ageing Gracefully - Raffles Medical Group

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22 UpClose Raffles HealthNews UpClose Ms Wendy Chew EXECUTIVE, RAFFLES INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS CENTRE with Ms Wendy Chew is an Executive with Raffles International Patient Centre of Raffles Hospital. As a former nurse and flight stewardess, Ms Chew is not new to patients or the service industry. UpClose speaks to Ms Chew on her work and learn tips on health and caring for the elderly. I understand that you have been with Raffles Hospital since December 2001, what made you decide to join as a RIPC staff I decided to return to the hospital environment as this is where I can touch and make a difference in the lives of the sick. What’s a typical day for you like My day usually starts at 8am and ends at 6pm. During the day, I manage calls ranging from enquiries to feedback, and also tend to patients at our specialist centres and those admitted for surgeries. I respond to emails from overseas patients planning to visit Raffles Hospital, making arrangements for hotel accommodation, airport transfers and, if necessary, visa application. After they have been admitted, I would usually visit them. My job requires me to be on my feet most of the time to attend to patients who require assistance. So after work, I will settle down to reflect and spend time reading my bible and praying for my patients. I also catch up with some reading, as it helps me unwind and relax. Wow, that sounds like an action-packed schedule. So other than stamina, what skills do you require to be a RIPC staff This job, requires us to be committed, patient, kind, compassionate, loving and caring. Having a good sense of self control, gentleness and good listening and communication skills are equally important. Communication is the key to all successful relationships, without which, relationships would fall apart. Last but not least, you need to be able to love people. In this job, you need to love those we know and those we don’t know, and even those who are unlovable. What do you enjoy most about your work Through my work I serve the sick by addressing their problems, such as arranging for their insurance, arranging accommodation for their companion, extending their social visit pass and connecting their flights. I also get to support their spiritual needs, rendering pastoral care to dying or terminally-ill patients who are losing hope. I am able to establish strong bonds with my patients. Through word-of-mouth, the circle of loyal Raffles patients gets bigger every year. Any fulfilling moments in your work that you could share with us Mr Fu, a tourist, fell sick suddenly while visiting Singapore. Mr Fu’s relatives who were travelling with him were in great distress as his condition worsened daily. His daughter, Chantel, flew in to spend time with him, thinking it was his last days. Seeing her father in the Intensive Care Unit, she cried inconsolably until I calmed her down. Every day I visited Chantel to look into her needs and show her around Singapore. We became good friends. Mr Fu’s condition miraculously improved a month later and was transferred to the general ward. Chantel was very grateful to our doctors who did not give up hope in her father. Their persistent efforts and the excellent nursing care that her father received made him well. I was very happy for Mr Fu when he fully recovered and returned home to Mauritius. Once in a while, Chantel will send me postcards and photographs of Mr Fu and herself. Today Chantel’s relatives, her brother’s business associates and some of her friends are regular patients at our hospital. That’s a very amazing story. In your work, you often have to work with older people. Do you have any secrets on how you handle them I always try to build relationships based on trust, warmth and mutual respect with the elderly. I remind myself that I will be old one day and I must be sensitive in treating the elderly with the respect I would expect if I were in their position. Seeing so many patients undergo treatments, do you ever feel pressured to keep fit and stay healthy I don’t feel pressurised to keep fit but I do eat a well balanced diet and drink plenty of water. I also ensure I have eight hours of sleep every night. Staying fit and healthy is not just about diet and exercise. It is how we view ourselves and how we live our life. Physical appearance is just as important as the inner self.
Raffles HealthNews UpClose 23 You look really energetic and young, care to share any tips on how you stay and look youthful I maintain a positive attitude in life as it is powerful, affects people around me and energises me. Positive attitude attracts people, promotes health and retard ageing. Having a positive attitude also helps me handle stress and problems better. As we age, we should not let energy, health and happiness decline, but always stay happy. Over the years I have become comfortable with who I am - I am satisfied, confident and self-assured. Can you share one little known fact about the elderly and caring for them The elderly like to stick to routines and do not like surprises and chaos. To them, a routine provides a reassuring structure, as their cognitive functions have declined and routines help them stay organised. By understanding their likes and dislikes, I indirectly establish a bond with my elderly patients. They are more willing to submit to my care when they trust me. I also need to be very patient with them because they tend to repeat their stories, forgetting that you have heard them a hundred times! HN
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Ageing Gracefully - Raffles Medical Group

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