On the heels of Health Minister Ong Ye Kung’s call to “take good care of our seniors”, Jeremy Tang –the leader of NICA’s Sports and Outdoor Adventure Branch – has recently piloted a new hiking activity for seniors at Dairy Farm Nature Park. This is not his first rodeo in bringing people outdoors, however.
With over two decades of experience in facilitating experiential learning across various age groups, Jeremy’s involvement in community volunteering spans over 15 years, providing a solid foundation for understanding and addressing the diverse needs of seniors. His journey into working with seniors was not merely a convenient career choice. Rather, it was a heartfelt commitment to improving the social, emotional, and physical well-being of the senior community.
“(Leading seniors to take) an ownership of their quality of living at a senior age is very fulfilling for me,” says Jeremy, when asked about what inspired him to work with older adults and contribute to their wellbeing.
Jeremy further adds that, on top of bringing seniors out of their homes and into a more active lifestyle, activities like that can help seniors make new friends and form a network among the participants. This social interaction can be crucial in improving a senior’s mental and physical wellbeing, as many of them face loneliness and isolation at their old age.
“A few of them told me that this was the best walk that they had,” remarked Jeremy. This was because they were able to spend time together and have “personal moments with their newfound friends”.
The positive feedback from participants have cemented Jeremy’s belief in the value that these tailored programmes bring to the lives of our seniors. This is what drives Jeremy to work with Active Aging Centres to develop more programmes for our seniors.
When asked about how he tailors his programmes to be senior-friendly, Jeremy says that he looks at the profile of the targeted participants, and considers their current health state, mobility, cognitive abilities and mindset. On top of that, he also considers safety and risk management when picking an environment to conduct the activity in.
Of course, the trainer will also need to be “sufficient experienced to connect with the participants” and “ensure a safe space”. This helps to give the “needed confidence” to the seniors involved in the activity, as some of them have not engaged in physical activity for many years.
With all the programmes that he participates in, Jeremy adopts a Full-Value Approach. This means that he aims to help participants:
This approach has led to some spectacular success stories. Jeremy mentions that, in his prior programmes, he has had a male senior struggle to walk continuously for more than 10 minutes. With proper guidance and support, the senior eventually progressed to being able to walk at a consistent pace for more than an hour, and able to complete a 12-kilometre walk.
NICA is looking to work with more experienced and passionate instructors like Jeremy. With our roadmap of courses designed to equip instructors with the necessary skills and facilities, we help instructors conduct quality and safe programmes for seniors in Active Ageing Centres. Our hope is to inspire more success stories like Jeremy's and make a positive impact on the lives of seniors. If you are an instructor with interest in working with seniors or an AAC keen to find out how NICA members like Jeremy can enrich your programming, please get in touch with us at nicaseniorprog@ntuc.org.sg.
