In light of COVID-19, Singapore Red Cross steps up its support and relief for the vulnerable, especially the elderly.

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) announced a series of initiatives aimed to provide support and relief for the vulnerable in Singapore, especially the elderly, in light of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. The aid will include customised care packages and psychosocial support calls for seniors living alone, sanitation kits for our volunteers and staff who continue to provide Singapore Red Cross humanitarian services to the vulnerable.

Initially to be distributed over the next three months from April to June, the care packages will benefit 1,000 seniors across SRC’s ElderAid, Medical Chaperone/TransportAid, and Home Monitoring and Eldercare (HoME)+ services. In consideration of the varied needs of its service users, the care package will comprise a mixture of food, medical, hygiene and household items. Contents of each package have been carefully curated based on service users’ feedback, and are customised for each elderly service user, bearing in mind their most immediate and essential needs.

Reaching out beyond SRC’s regular service users, SRC will receive new referrals, particularly from social service agencies that have suspended their services. Meanwhile, SRC volunteers are pressing on with fortnightly home visits and weekly befriending calls to the seniors. To safeguard all 2,000 volunteers, fundraisers and staff who are actively serving the community across a spectrum of essential services, the Singapore Red Cross will also provide personal protection equipment (like masks and gloves) and sanitation kits to each of them.

Recognising the anxiety experienced by SRC’s service users and volunteers, under these challenging circumstances, the Singapore Red Cross is also providing psychosocial support to its service users through home visits and telephone calls, and would extend the helpline service to all its volunteers within the month.

“These are extraordinarily trying times.  It is critical that we intensify our efforts to uplift the most vulnerable in our community, who are amongst the hardest hit,” said Benjamin William, secretary general/CEO, Singapore Red Cross.

 

** Singapore Red is accepting donations to support the local COVID-19 efforts to the elderly and those vulnerable – https://redcross.give.asia/campaign/can-you-help-our-local-elderly-during-covid-19#/