Lifting Staff Morale Amid COVID-19

By All Saints Home

Samuel Tan, Chief Executive Officer at All Saints Home reflects on the changes that COVID-19 has brought to staff and residents.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented enormous challenges to our staff at All Saints Home (ASH). Other than caring for the elderly and frail residents, they also have to cope with changes like additional movement restrictions and safety measures, longer shift hours, zoning and distancing requirements, and decanting from dormitories. Thankfully, most of them have taken these challenges in their stride, recognising the bigger purposes they contribute to achieving.

At ASH, even as we imposed strict rules to ensure the health and safety of our staff and residents, we sought to create a secure, caring and assuring environment, so that we can brave through the storm with confidence and resilience together.

To help manage insecurity and anxieties, we invested in targeted and clear communication with our staff regularly through various platforms such as virtual townhalls, team meetings, emails, text messages, social media and posters. We strove not only to inform but to educate, assure and encourage through the communication channels.

To create a caring environment, we looked at both the physical and emotional aspects. For physical needs, we provide dedicated transport, three meals from our kitchen (including regular feature of cuisines from different nationalities), and care packs of toiletries, vitamins, and food and beverages. Apart from bringing cheer, these serve to minimise our staff’s intermingling with the community

In addressing emotional needs, we encouraged team leaders to closely monitor the wellbeing of their staff, looking out especially for negative behavioural changes. An in-house counsellor is available to offer professional help where necessary. An Info Care Pack with information relating to topics such as mental wellness, exercise, entertainment and food delivery was provided to all staff to engage themselves while staying at home.

COVID-19 presents a golden opportunity to build trust and demonstrate that we truly cherish our staff. The shared experiences through the crisis will bring us closer and make us stronger as we continue our journey ahead together.