Neighbours for Active Living
Neighbours for Active Living, or “Neighbours” for short, is a novel programme combining healthcare and social expertise and resources to train volunteers to care for sick elderly in their own neighbourhoods. The programme was jointly developed by the South East Community Development Council (SECDC) and Eastern Health Alliance (EH Alliance) and launched on 25 January 2014 by Dr Maliki Osman, Mayor, South East District.
The Neighbours Team
Neighbours is run by teams comprising full-time Community Care assistants and trained volunteers. The Community Care assistants, who come with valuable experience from their healthcare and social work backgrounds, conduct targeted training for volunteers and matches them with clients living near them. They also accompany volunteers on their initial home visits, and regularly review the clients’ cases. They are sited within the community, spending most of their time walking around the neighbourhood, getting to know residents in the area, doing home visits, meeting up with volunteers etc.
Our volunteers come from varied backgrounds including working professionals, housewives, retirees and students. Though they may or may not have experience in caring for the sick, what they do have in common is a strong sense of neighbourliness and a willingness to give of their time and energy to show care and concern to those who live near them. The Community Care team provides structured and continuous training to equip them with important skills such as how to build enduring relationships with the elderly, how to identify red flags and assess if the elderly need medical attention etc.
