Three Ps to solve problem of weekend caregivers

Sat, 29 Dec 2012
2 min read
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Dear Madam/Sir,

I refer to the letter “Rest day exception for caregiver domestic workers?” (Dec 20).

All employees – domestic workers or otherwise – deserve a weekly day off (or more) to recharge and recuperate.

However, this creates a conundrum: when caregiving domestic workers are given a day off, no one else will tend to their care-receiving charges, such as wheelchair users or frail seniors.

Instead of doggedly demanding that caregiving domestic workers carry on working on their off days, let’s tackle this problem creatively.

I propose a solution with these three Ps:

  1. Part-time employment.
    A job market is created for part-time skilled caregivers who are willing and able to tend to care-receivers on weekends – so long as the remuneration is commensurate with market wages.

    So as not to penalise families with the increased financial burden, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social and Family Development can look into increasing the size and the scope of the monthly Foreign Domestic Worker Grant to cover this additional cost.

    Alternatively, affected families can be allowed to claim a Caregivers’ Relief.

    2.  

  2. Peer support.
    If there is a shortage of skilled care-givers, the Council for the Third Age can facilitate the provision of caregiver training to retirees.

    This allows actively aging seniors to be involved in taking care of their lesser-abled peers.

    3.  

  3. Pop-up weekend daycare centres for care-receivers.
    Temporary centralised facilities are set up in convenient locales around Singapore on weekends.

    Economies of scale will allow, say, three part-time caregivers to tend to about eight care-receivers. This also allows families to pay a lower caregiving fee since more families share the cost of paying for caregivers’ wages.

    The facilities can be located in void decks, for example, and be removed at the end of the day so that the spaces can be utilised for other purposes on weekdays.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Laremy LEE (Mr)

(Published as “Three-part solution for weekend caregiver issue” on 29 Dec 2012 in TODAY.)

Not say I want to say: “society”

Fri, 28 Dec 2012
2 min read
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Welcome to the first edition of “Not Say I Want To Say”!

Today’s “Not Say I Want To Say” word is “society”.

Example from a news report:

The status of women in the society is low and the public attitude of men towards women is not healthy.

 

From “Violence rampant in North East: Rights body”, my emphasis.

How has “society” been misused here?
The speaker is referring to “society” in terms of a community or a collective group of people living together for a particular purpose – in the case above, people living in the North-east in India.

Unless the speaker is using “society” as a proper noun e.g. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – i.e. an actual club, association or body – s/he should not have included the definite article “the”.

How do we use “society” correctly?
Ask yourself: is a definite article (i.e. “a” or “the”) necessary for the purpose I intend?

E.g.

When referring to the companionship of a particular group:

  • I enjoy the society of women. (Correct)
  • I enjoy society of women. (Wrong)

 
When referring to an actual club, association or body:

 
When referring to a community or a collective group of people living together for a particular purpose (in the example below, Malaysians in Malaysia):

 
Efficiency of non-standard use: Low; can lead to confusion.

Potential for adoption: DO NOT adopt – unless you want the society to crumble and die. (See what I mean?)

Have a good weekend and see you back here on Monday!

Little Drummer Boy

Thu, 27 Dec 2012
1 min read
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On Christmas Eve, my friend posted this status message on Facebook:

First-World Christmas Eve Problems: Mother is frying rempah to cook curry and I can’t stop sneezing.

My response:

Come, they told me, pah rempah-pah-pah…

I thought it was hilarious so I liked my own comment. You can tell that I’m a very big fan of my own brand of humour.

BONUS:

Some years back, another friend blogged about a very hilarious piece of stand-up comedy by Irene Ang.

I can’t find the original post (I think it’s been taken down) but part of the routine was as follows:

…Irene Ang was the host and she played [Don’t Forget the Lyrics]. She asked what line followed these [lines] in the song “Little Drummer Boy”:

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A new born king to see
Pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring
__ ___ ___ ___ ___.