Old age home close down because not enough FT and locals dont want work there

[besotted]

If they were allowed to hire more PRCs or Pinoys they would have stayed open. Because of stupid dependency ratio and locals too choosy, the old age home had to close down. If locals don't want the work, why can' they hire PRCs.

KANINAEHCHOWCHEEBYE. FUCKING BLOOD BOIL!

http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC101006-0000098/Bedok-home-for-the-aged-to-pull-down-shutters

Bedok home for the aged to pull down shutters

by Neo Chai Chin 05:55 AM Oct 06, 2010

SINGAPORE - A home for the aged's impending closure has had some relatives of its residents scrambling to find alternative arrangements and brought to the fore some operational challenges such institutions face.

In a letter dated Sept 22, the Man Fatt Lam Home for the Aged cited reasons including the poor health of managing director Reverend Sek Yan Wei, the inability to find a suitable successor and manpower challenges for ceasing operations.

The home, located near the Tanah Merah MRT station, has "tremendous difficulty" hiring locals and also faces "problems" engaging foreign qualified workers to take care of its 34 residents. It will close on Nov 30.

When contacted, Rev Yan Wei, 43, said it has found places at the Tai Pei Old People's Home for the six residents on Public Assistance at her home. Some others have found places in other nursing homes and sheltered homes for the aged.

"At first, I thought I'd hand over the home to a new team. (The home's Board) held many discussions, but it is not easy to take care of old folks well," she said.

The home, which charges $1,000 in monthly fees, has been run by a Buddhist temple of the same name since the mid-1990s. Its maximum capacity was 52 but has decreased in recent years as staff quarters - previously housed in another building on the temple's grounds - were relocated to the home's second storey.

According to Rev Yan Wei, the home is allowed to hire eight foreign staff. Their workload includes laundry, kitchen and cleaning duties, on top of caring for the residents.

"The old folks are bathed twice a day and all our meals, including supper, are cooked," she said.

A higher quota for foreign workers would have helped, she felt.

Similar manpower issues are faced by other homes. Ms Irene Ong, owner of Serene and Irene nursing homes, said higher levies for unskilled foreign workers, which kicked in July, have hit operating costs.

She raised fees by $50 at Serene home to $1,000 three months ago.

Unable to get locals to do the job, she will be sending batches of workers for an IT course from this month to "upgrade" them to a higher-skilled band.

She has received calls from relatives of Man Fatt Lam home's residents but both her homes are full.

Relatives have had better luck at the 99-bed St John's Home for Elderly Persons, which has 10 vacancies and will be "assisting them on possible relocation", said superintendent Goh Beng Hoe.

The Community Development, Youth and Sports Ministry said it is working with the home to minimise the impact of its closure, "including arranging for the transfer of residents to other homes".

It added that the average occupancy at the 17 sheltered homes here, which provide 860 beds in total, is 80 per cent.

Some relatives of Man Fatt Lam home's residents have made other plans. Alice, 49, said she will hire a domestic helper to care for her mother at home.

"My sister-in-law called 10 homes, of which eight were full. Those with vacancies were too expensive," she said.

 

[cooleo]

>>A higher quota for foreign workers would have helped, she felt.<<

Can you believe this shit? Everytime something goes wrong, chao Sinkie companies will comprain say not enough foreign workers.

Maybe when they can't shit in morning can also blame foreign workers.

 

[Glaringly]

This shit about higher demand for Foreign Workers does not make sense?

Max, 52 patients with 8 foreign workers limit, throw in another 2 or 3 locals to take care of the laundry and cooking are more then sufficient to run this home. No?

Unless the home uses the same workers to man the temple or run other errants, I just can't figure the cry for more workers.

 

[wahlaneh]

wahlaneh...
many foreign nursing assistants are running away from many nursing homes due to low pay, dirty works, and inhuman bosses.
soon all those old and sick nobody will look after liao.

 

[gbomega]

Any business owner will be happy to employ cheap foreign workers. I do not believe these lies.

 

[halsey02]

>>A higher quota for foreign workers would have helped, she felt.<<

Can you believe this shit? Everytime something goes wrong, chao Sinkie companies will comprain say not enough foreign workers.

Maybe when they can't shit in morning can also blame foreign workers.

I remember a boss of a well known Restaurant Chain during the Asian Financial Crises, came out & screwed SINgapore workers for being fussy about the work & pay etc...

This problem is not going to be solved anytime now or ever, if we keep having the same people running the Labour Unions & the manpower ministry, the same MIW's.

I remember after the recession of 1984, the same old complaint, even after the Gulf war of 1991-1992.

This is 2010, the same old, local workers shunned the jobs etc...if that is the case, Labour Unions & the Ministry must do an in depth study to eliminate this problem.

The problem is, without a minimum wage guideline & the enshrined EMPLOY SINGAPOREAN FIRST policy, we the local workers, will be forever condemn as shunning jobs, fussy about work time & condition, fussy about pay, compalin about location & ad infinium.

If the complains by the employers are genuine on this, then; there must be thousands & thousands of Singapore workers, out of work; unable to feed themselves & their families & the government in power.

But that is not so....exploitation is the word & high cost of doing business is another & high indirect taxes...ad infinium.

We need a change...to improve the lot of the workers, after all, we can boast to have the most trained & educated work force in Asia, next to Japan.

Change....

 

[Glaringly]

The excuse cited was poor health, inability to find a successor and foreign workers?

Minimum turnover is 50,000 a month. A juicy business, no?

It is stated it move from the adjacent building next to the temple to it's present location, Tanah Merah. What I think, it is hiding the main problem that is cost of renting a place.

I bet to my last cent, the rental could easily exceeds $30,000 a month and the MSM/Owner is hiding this information away and conveniently blame on foreign workers. As usual.

In a letter dated Sept 22, the Man Fatt Lam Home for the Aged cited reasons including the poor health of managing director Reverend Sek Yan Wei, the inability to find a suitable successor and manpower challenges for ceasing operations.

The home, located near the Tanah Merah MRT station, has "tremendous difficulty" hiring locals and also faces "problems" engaging foreign qualified workers to take care of its 34 residents. It will close on Nov 30.

The home, which charges $1,000 in monthly fees, has been run by a Buddhist temple of the same name since the mid-1990s. Its maximum capacity was 52 but has decreased in recent years as staff quarters - previously housed in another building on the temple's grounds - were relocated to the home's second storey.

 

[Frankiestine]

Don't complain, pay the right price I am sure you find locals to work for you.

 

[Watchman]

>>A higher quota for foreign workers would have helped, she felt.<<

Can you believe this shit? Everytime something goes wrong, chao Sinkie companies will comprain say not enough foreign workers.

Maybe when they can't shit in morning can also blame foreign workers.

They finding another reason to raise quota of foreign workers again to
the high of 2nd quarter 2010 . Instead the TOP /CEO / managers
should take a lower salary for his easy post .

 

[myfoot123]

They got not enough donors and money to support the operations. It should not come as a surprise because of what Ming Yi and TT durai did and created bad image in the Charitiy Sector. To aggravate the matter, our govt let these two culprits off with a painless smack on their wrist.

 

[halsey02]

They got not enough donors and money to support the operations. It should not come as a surprise because of what Ming Yi and TT durai did and created bad image in the Charitiy Sector. To aggravate the matter, our govt let these two culprits off with a painless smack on their wrist. /QUOTE]

Charity had become big money, ever since NKF held their charity shows on TV, it was greed that caused the charity having a bad name. Greed covered the eyes of the authorities that managed the charity sector, it was bringing in huge money in terms of GST etc. Even there was whistle blower , remember the gold taps & the flying first class for NKF & the questioning of the high salary that the MONKey was getting?, Greed covered their eyes, & deaden their hearing....they just turn another way.

It is money, more money...and your quanxi or MEMBER! these days!!

 

[silverfox@]

$1000 per month charges for each resident. 34 residents, only $34K collected monthly. Have to consider the fact these are old aged, need to buy more amenities and medication.

Donations going in are definitely not enough, and even if paid better, locals will still shun this job.

 

[silverfox@]

Don't complain, pay the right price I am sure you find locals to work for you.

What is the right salary to pay locals to work in old aged home?

 

[SotongMee]

Strange, free volunteers expect to be local and hiring paid farangs.

Non-profit organization I understand, but this seems to be pervasive in SG.

What is the right salary to pay locals to work in old aged home?

 

[silverfox@]

Strange, free volunteers expect to be local and hiring paid farangs.

Non-profit organization I understand, but this seems to be pervasive in SG.

The problem also happens, you and me don't want to volunteer for free too. :(

 

[yuelao]

What is the right salary to pay locals to work in old aged home?

You goddamned idiot. The right salary is obviously when you can get sufficient locals to work for you. No one in his right mind will want to do menial tasks for $600 per month. You think you can get foreigners to do those tasks for $600 in their own currency? They are only willing to work for SGD $600 because they can convert into big money in their own currency. :oIo:

 

[no_faith]

Donations going in are definitely not enough,

yes donation is needed. but juz depending on the citizen donation??

look at the billions lost by our govt, surely there is enuff funds to fund the old age home.

we do have funds yet the govt keep on asking us to donate?

tis raise another qns. 100% of the donation went into the charity?

 

[loloba]

$1000 per month charges for each resident. 34 residents, only $34K collected monthly. Have to consider the fact these are old aged, need to buy more amenities and medication.

Donations going in are definitely not enough, and even if paid better, locals will still shun this job.

Singaporeans are very charitable. Every now and then we have people walking into these charitable homes to donate in kind and cash and many churches and temples adopted these homes.

Promblems started when the government outsourced management of homes to private sectors, donations is easy money more over the organisation spent alot of time organising donation draws often employing foreign workers to run the organisation (administration). The mentality of these adminstrators are because is a charitable organisation don't expect high pay, you are doing charity work. No local will take up charity work based on foreign workers (maid salary with better working hours). There are many people who would like to do adminstrative work the organisation deemed too expensive.

 

[johnny333]

yes donation is needed. but juz depending on the citizen donation??

look at the billions lost by our govt, surely there is enuff funds to fund the old age home.

we do have funds yet the govt keep on asking us to donate?

tis raise another qns. 100% of the donation went into the charity?

The PAP is treating Spore as Spore Inc.

All the tax money they collect is going into bonuses, directorship fees & their foreign investments.

This is what happens when Sporeans blindly trust a single party Sporeans must learn from the experiences of Taiwan, Malaysians ,....

 

[Frankiestine]

Old folks home are big business. In fact I believe there is a shortage of such homes. The average monthly charge for a ambulant inmate starts easily at $800 onwards and with non-ambulant ones it can go up to $1500 depending on the type of care needed. It is a highly profitable business don't believe look at Econ old folks home.