“I first learned about Helping Hand from my big sister who was working here at the time. She encouraged me to give it a try, so I joined as a Personal Care Worker in 1995. All these years later, I’m still here! We have three different shifts - morning, afternoon and night. My job involves taking care of our residents - bathing, feeding, providing bathroom assistance, helping out with mealtimes and bedtimes. We also plan a lot of activities and take them out for Yum Cha or other outings. I feel so energised every day when I come to work. I’m so happy to see and chat with the residents, and they’re also very happy to see me! We work very well together as a team and I’m grateful to have such amazing colleagues. Time flies every day when I’m at work.

Elderly people have a lot of stories. They can also sometimes have a bit of a temper, but can very quickly get back to a good mood. Many people see this line of work as ‘dirty work’, but I don’t see it that way. Reality is very different from imagination and I would invite people to come experience it themselves. I always tell my daughters that I find a lot of joy in the work that I do, that it’s not disgusting or gross - quite the contrary. The relationships that you build here are so special. Years ago, one of the residents shared with me, “It’s my birthday tomorrow, but no one will celebrate with me.” So I decided to give him a little surprise. I went out and bought him a roast goose leg as a birthday treat. When he opened the box, he was so touched and was moved to tears. He was so grateful and happy just from this simple act of care. Every one of us gets old. So if everybody shuns this line of work, who will take care of our elderly? I feel like it’s the right thing to do.  

I have two daughters, and they both live in the UK now. They often asked me, “Mum, when are you going to join us?”. After a lot of thought, I told them that I’ve decided to stay in Hong Kong. I miss my daughters but I love taking care of my ‘old friends’ here. My work brings me fulfilment and I don’t want to go anywhere - it’s my lifetime mission! I would really encourage young people to give this profession a try, just like I did all those years ago. It’s so meaningful and satisfying. To be a good care worker you need to be very kindhearted, attentive and patient. Elderly people are just normal people who have gone through a lot, and they deserve to be treated with respect and care. I love my job but it is hard work, so on my days off I like to relax, listen to music, and play Mahjong!”

Storytelling by Hong Kong Shifts