Reflection on CIP activity

Reflection on CIP activity

We went to Jurong Point yesterday with the senior citizens from New Horizon Centre. They had dementia and we were told to take extreme care of them. Basically, we brought them for breakfast before actually going for a walk/shopping at the NTUC.

After the session with them, I learnt a lot of lessons. Some of the elderly were not that friendly and thus, we had to be flexible and strike up a conversation with them ourselves. One of the efficient ways is just to look and smile at them. The instructor at the New Horizon Centre mentioned that people that are not so wise in the brain are actually full of feelings and are very sensitive. Therefore, if we gave the elderly some nonchalant look, they will sense that we are hostile.

Another important lesson I learnt is of course, how to strike a conversation. At the start, I was not so familiar with them, and I could only smile at the elderly. However, the instructors there lend me a hand by striking a conversation with them and letting me continue. I realized that the instructors tend to ask about their welfare first before asking about herself and her family. They also tend to used prompting questions so that the elderly have more chances to speak.

Last but not least, I learnt the importance of communicating with the elderly and senior citizens. Our parents are going to aged one day, and we are going to repay them by taking care of them and giving them our best. If we can’t even take good care of the elderly yesterday, what about our parents? Are we going to be as unfilial to them? It speaks a lot about us, our manners and how our parents teach us. I learnt a lot from yesterday CIP activity, and I really hope that I could have more chances in the future to learn to communicate with the elderly so as to be filial to my parents in the future.