“I joined Helping Hand in 1988 as a registered nurse. My role involves checking on residents’ health, handling their medical concerns, and reporting conditions to the outreach doctors. Our nurses also manage medication distribution, injections, and ensure that residents maintain healthy diets and sleeping routines. The pandemic was an especially challenging time for us. Many people were infected, and our residents were in the high-risk group, so we had to be extra cautious. Because our work involves close contact, one staff member after another caught the virus, and those who remained had to work overtime—sometimes staying at the care home through multiple nights to look after the residents. It was an incredibly difficult time for frontline carers, and I’m so grateful those days are behind us!”

As a more experienced nurse, I’ve had the opportunity over the years to train new nurses across different care homes under the Helping Hand Association. These experiences have taught me a lot. I believe it’s really important to step outside of our comfort zones, learn new things, and collaborate with different people—only then can we grow and truly challenge ourselves. Beyond medical care, we also work closely with social workers, because sometimes what a resident needs emotionally or spiritually might not align perfectly with what’s best for their physical health or safety. It’s always about finding that delicate balance.

After all these years as a nurse, I’ve learned the art of ‘letting go.’ We form deep bonds with our residents, but when they pass away, we can’t dwell on sorrow—we have others who still need our care, and we must fulfill our duty. We organize different games and activities for the residents, and once we held a nostalgic event where they got to wear traditional cheongsams. That activity stirred old memories and gave them a chance to share stories from the past. The elderly ladies were especially happy—they got to dress up, do their hair and makeup! In my 35 years with Helping Hand, the most unforgettable moment was in 1989, when Princess Diana visited our care home. I had the chance to meet her and say hello—she was so kind and graceful! I’ll always treasure that special memory.

Storytelling by Hong Kong Shifts