Staff and passersby at Jem mall help frustrated caregiver and dementia lady
Dementia is a condition in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. Taking care of people with dementia can be physically and mentally challenging, and many times the caregiver can be ragged on mercilessly.
An incident, recalled by Scarlett Chong on Facebook, happened at Jem Shopping Centre where passersby and staff came together to help out a frustrated caregiver and his elderly mother, who has dementia.
On 12 August, an elderly lady had an unfortunate incident in the accessible toilet while assisted by her son, who has anger management issues. After losing his temper, his shouts drew attention from the staff at Don Don Donki, who called the security for assistance.
Chong shared that a security officer named Mariama came to help, and held the old lady’s arm throughout the episode to comfort her despite their language barrier. While another security officer tried to control the situation, David Tan from Jem’s building management, joined the group, cracking jokes and reassuring the elderly in Hokkien. The traumatised elderly visibly calmed down, thanks to Tan’s reassurances.
While it is easy to look on as a bystander, Carmen from Love, Bonito, did otherwise. When approached for help, she took a dress off the racks and offered it to the old lady, which was later paid for by police officer Imran Moosa Im-pire Hany Yankidal, when he noticed the security tag was still attached.
Upon arrival at the scene, Chong recalled that the police patiently “managed the man's emotions and spoke to him to calm him down, coming from an understanding point of view without judgment, managing the situation with grace, and prescribing the best course of action with thoughtfulness.” The authorities also aided the man in contacting the relevant agencies to help both the elderly lady and her son.
“What I saw was an outpour of humanity. And observing these people touched my heart greatly. And the various people who helped to shield, bring a chair, and those from the security team and Jem management who intervened when he nearly lost it. You guys are awesome,” Chong shared.
Filled with heartwarming and encouraging comments in the comment section, one reader also pointed out that perhaps the son’s anger management issue should not be highlighted in the recount.
“One reason I chose to do so, is not to omit a crucial fact - he does have a condition, and if people choose to talk about it like a taboo, it also acts as a deterrent for people to recognise it and seek help for it. Also, on the flip side, not highlighting a condition might make people judge him unnecessarily harshly for his aggression,” Chong shared in her response to the comment.
