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POWERMAGAZI NE
JANUARY2018 | FI RSTEDI T I ON
Mo r et h a naHo u s e ma i d : Ri s i n go faDo me s t i cHe l p e r ByZh e n gYi we n
Fel i ci dad Sumaoang,46,s i t s ona medi calbed s peci al l ydes i gned f ort heel der l yat KwaiChung Hos pi t al . ( Phot o byZheng Yi wen)
Af t erf eedi ng t he 83year ol d gr andpa Yi pl yi ng on t he bed atl unch,Sumaoang r eachesone oft he mos tchal l engi ng par t sofherdayasa car egi ver–gi vi ng hi ma mas s age. St andi ng bes i de t he bed,Sumaoang s l i ght l yl i f t sup t he ol d man’ sback,t ur nshi s bodyt owar dsher ,and l ethi ml i equi et l yi nherar ms . “Gr andpa,do you f eelgood now? I t ’ s al r i ght .Jus t r el ax, ”Mur mur i ng i n awkwar d Cant ones e,s he gent l y pat st he ol d man’ sbackwi t hone hand,t i dyi ng up hi s wr i nkl ed cl ot heswi t ht heot her . Gr andpa Yi p, al r eady i n a det er i or at i ng s t age of dement i at hathasdepr i ved hi sabi l i t yt ot al k,makes oneort wos hr i l land meani ngl es ss oundsi nr es pons et o ever ys ent ence s he ut t er s ,whi ch s eemst o encour age hert o cont i nuet hi swei r d conver s at i on. “I know he can under s t and me, ” s ai d Fel i ci dad Sumaoang,46,a Fi l i pi no domes t i c wor kerwho has beenwor ki ng f oranol d coupl ef orei ghtyear s ,bot hof whom s uf f er f r om el der l y dement i a. Li vi ng wi t h 72year ol dgr andmaYi pandherdaught er ,Sumaoang l eavest he hous e at9 a. m.ever y day t ol ook af t er gr andpa i n Yan ChaiHos pi t al ,and comesback at5 p. m.t o accompanygr andma Yi p.
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Sumaoang’ ss i t uat i on i snotr ar e among overt han 3. 5t hous and f or ei gn domes t i c hel per swor ki ng i n agi ng Hong Kong. Accor di ng t o gover nments t at i s t i csi n 2016,t her e ar e ar ound 10. 6% ci t i z ensaged above 70,wi t h 9. 3% i nt hi sage gr oup di agnos ed wi t hel der l ydement i a.T hegover nmenti spl anni ng t o encour agemor ef or ei gnwor ker st o comeascar egi verf or t heel der l y,and t o of f ers ubs i di esf oraged ci t i z enswho l i veal onet o hi r et hem. However ,i tcan be an unr eas onabl y demandi ng t as kf orf or ei gn mai dsl acki ng pr of es s i onalnur s i ng s ki l l st ol ook af t er dement i a pat i ent s .I n Sumaoang’ scas e,t he mos tchal l engi ng par ti st o di vi de hert i me f orhert wo pat i ent swho ar e at di f f er ents t agesofdegener at i on.Asf orgr andpa Yi p,hi sf ami l yhasno choi ce butput t i ng hi mi nt o hos pi t al ,whi l e gr andma Yi pi sabl et os t aycons ci ousoccas i onal l y,dur i ng whi chs her es i s t sf ur i ous l yt hei dea ofgoi ng t o el der l ycent er . Sumaoang r emember ed t hatherempl oyerQueeni e Yi p,t he daught eroft he ol d coupl e,us ed t o cr yoverand overagai n f orgr andma’ sobs t i nacy.“It ol d mybos s ,‘ don’ tt ake i ts er i ous l y’ .She i sl i ke t hi sonl ybecaus e oft he dement i a.Once you under s t and t hedi s eas e,youunder s t and t hei rbehavi or , ”s hes ai d. ButSumaoang wasnott hi sunder s t andi ng and t ol er antwhen s he f i r s tgoti nt ot hi spr of es s i on 18year sago,when s he was hi r ed t ol i ve wi t hanol d manexper i enci ng Al z hei mer ’ sdi s eas e byhi sdaught er .Dur i ng al lt hos e dayswhi l et he manwoul d s uddenl ypeeorpooont hef l oor ,r unawaydur i ngt heday,and l os ehi st emperatmi dni ghtt r yi ngt os t or m outoft hehous e, Sumaoang s t r uggl ed wi t hver yl i mi t ed knowl edgeabouts ympt omsofdement i a orcar egi vi ng appr oaches . T hemos thear t br eaki ngmoment shad beenwhent hedaught erbl amed herf ort hewor s eni ngofhi sdi s eas e.“Ever yt i mes he l os thermi nd and s ai d,‘ Igaveyoumyt r us t ,whydi dn’ tyout akecar eofmyf at her ’ ?Buti t ’ soutofmycont r ol .Somepeopl e j us tgets i ck,r i ght ?”Sumaoang s ai d. “Igave myal land mybes t .24hour sa dayIwast he one bes i de hi m.I tgott oo hur t f ul ,t he ways he t r eat ed me. ”So s he deci ded t oqui tt hi sj ob and wasas pi r ed t ol ear nmor eabouthow t odealwi t ht heel der l y,es peci al l yt hos ewi t hment aland phys i caldegener at i on.Shet hent ooknur s i ng ai d and car egi vi ng cour s esatSai ntMar y’ sUni ver s i t yofHong Kong. Byt he t i me Sumaoang methernew empl oyerQueeni e Yi p,s he wasal r eadyconf i dentenough t o expl ai n how dement i a devel ops ,andwhatki ndofhel ps hecanof f erasanexper i encedcar egi ver .Yi phi r edherwhengr andpas t i l ls t ayedathome, and cont i nued t ol ethert akecar eofhi m evenaf t erhewass entt ot hehos pi t al . “Mydad i sus ed t o herhel p,and t hehos pi t alhasl i mi t ed s t af f . ”Yi ps ai d.“T o mes hei sa f ami l ymember . ”
Fel i ci dad Sumaoang ( l ef t )wi t h herf el l ow Fi l i pi no domes t i c wor ker satCent r al .T heyar e pr act i ci ng f ora f as hi on s how t hatwi l l behel di nJanuar y,2018.( Phot o byZheng Yi wen)
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Sumaoang’ sf r i end Mar i carLi ngcas an,a domes t i c hel perwho t akescar e oft wo ki dsi n an Aus t r al i an f ami l y,wasonce i mpr es s edbySumaoang’ swor kwhengr andmas uddenl yr anawayf r om t hehous eonaSunday.T het wower epl ayi ngai r s of t gamet oget her ,and Sumaoanghad t ol eaveear l i ert ohandl et heemer gency.“I twasourdayof f ,and s omeoneel s ei nt he f ami l ywass uppos ed t ol ookaf t ergr andma, ”Li ngcas ans ai d.“Looki ng af t erol d peopl ei st hehar des t . ” Li ngcas anmetSumaoang t wo year sago i na f as hi ons how hel d bya domes t i chel peruni on,af t erwhi cht heyhaves penta l otoft i met oget heri ns por t s ,f as hi onand char i t yevent s .ForLi ngcas an,keepi ngher s el fbus yi sa wayt oavoi di ndul gencei n nos t al gi a. Buts he hasa f eel i ng t hatSumaoang s eemst o hol d a di f f er entper s pect i ve.Sumaoang’ ss on,who gr ew up wi t houtmom bei ng ar ound,and now wor ksasa pr ogr ammer ,hasbeent r yi ng t o convi nce hert o go backt ot he Phi l i ppi nesasf i nanci al bur deni snota pr obl em f ort hef ami l yanymor e.“Ikeep as ki ng her :whyar eyounotgoi ng home?Iwoul d havegonehome i fIwer eyou! ”Li ngcas ans ai d. “Myol d mans t i l lneedsme,and myf r i endsar eal lher e, ”Sumaoang r es ponded.Ever ydayt her ear emoment st hatdr ag her f oot s t epst owar dst hewaybackhome:t heuni oni spl anni nganew f as hi ons how i nJanuar y;gr andmawant st ohaveherhai r dyed;gr andpa needss omenew cl ot hes . Ei ghtyear sl i vi ng wi t ht heol d coupl eenabl esSumaoang t of i gur eoutwhatt heywantevenwi t houtwor ds .Sheknowswhen t o gi ve gr andpa a mas s age,and when t o pl aygr andma’ sf avor i t es ongsatdi nnert i me.“Gr andma wi l lbe j eal ousi fIget homel at e.Shewi l ls ay,‘ f ake!He[ gr andpa]i sf aki ng i t[ t hedi s eas e] ! ’ ”Sumaoang s ai d and l aughed. She f i nal l yr i s esup t oas t age wher e bondi ng i sr eal ,har dwor ki ng i sr es pect ed,and l i f e ofa domes t i c hel peri smor et han bei ng a hous emai d. “So Ij us tt ol d mys on:Ican’ t .Myl i f ei sher e. ”
Source:https://mandyzhengyiwen.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/more-than-a-housemaid-rising-up-of-a-domestic-helper/