What’s The Relationship You Have With Your Fridge?
For the care staff at Apex Harmony Lodge, it’s complicated
With many of us spending a lot more time at home, the relationship we have with our fridge is changing. For the home cooks and aspiring master chefs out there, the fridge is the source of your inspiration for your culinary adventures. What you make for dinner depends on what you have inside. For some of us, who are trying to flatten the curves from having too many snacks, we might need to step away from the fridge a bit more.
At Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL), the care staff have a different relationship with their fridge. One could almost say that this relationship developed with the outbreak of COVID-19 and deepened when Singapore’s circuit breaker measures kicked in.
Ms Neelavathi is an enrolled nurse who stays on site at AHL. With COVID-19, many of us have been subjected to spilt team operations and have been working from home. For Neelavathi and her colleagues, Apex Harmony Lodge is home. They continue to care for residents, and at the end of their shifts return to the dormitory situated in one of Apex Harmony Lodge’s three blocks. She and her colleagues in the same dorm are split into different teams and not allowed to interact or mingle with each other to limit any potential spread should anyone in the Lodge be diagnosed with COVID-19.
Yet, there is a loophole in the plan. There is only one fridge.
>> Press play & say hello to Neela!
We speak to Neelavathi, or Neela, as she is better known at AHL, over a video call to find out more about her story and how CapitaLand, through its philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF) stepped in to help solve her problem.
INSIDE: Can you introduce yourself and share what you do at AHL?
Neela: I am Neela and I am working as an enrolled nurse at AHL. I care for assisted living residents with dementia in AHL.
I have been working with AHL for three years, and in the last one and a half years, my focus is on helping assisted living residents.
INSIDE: Can you share a bit more about how the spilt team arrangement at AHL works?
Neela: AHL is split into four zones. Staff are not allowed to mingle across zones. Zone 1, 2, and 3 are for residents and staff who work and interact with the residents.
Zone 4 is for support staff such as operations, human resources, and the administration team.
INSIDE: Why is having such an arrangement important?
Neela: The splitting of the zones is important as the virus may spread from one zone to another. This arrangement limits the possible spread to just within one zone itself. Safe distancing is key.
INSIDE: And nurses like yourself are in the first three zones?
Neela: Yes, and (within the zone) we also need to maintain the movement log to indicate persons or residents whom we had close contact with an extended period for contact tracing.
We also need to scan a QR code to log in our attendance at the lodge. Whenever we go in and out, we will need to check-in and check-out.
"This limits any possible spread to just within one zone itself. Safe distancing is key."
INSIDE: So, with the three fridges donated by CapitaLand has helped?
Neela: We are thankful that we have the fridges now because we have space to keep the fresh groceries. We buy groceries weekly. By having the fridges, it helps us to keep our food fresh and it is easier to maintain hygiene.
It also allows us to keep our home cooked food in the fridge. We also save some money as it reduces the need to order food delivery.
INSIDE: How often do you cook?
Neela: Our cooking days are now scheduled too. Every three days, each zone will cook their food and take turns. For example, Monday, it will be Zone 1, followed by Zone 2 on Tuesday, and Zone 3 on Wednesday and the schedule starts again. Sunday will be a rest day for us.
INSIDE: Where’s the fridge currently located?
Neela: The refrigerators are in the various dormitories for the nurses.
INSIDE: Has the implementation of the Circuit Breaker affected your work with the residents?
Neela: For our residents, most of their activities are limited. They also need to practice safe distancing.
Most of our residents can understand when we explain that it is because of the virus.
With the constant reminders and engagement, our residents do not display much behavioural changes too.
Even though the residents can no longer play mahjong or participate in group activities, we find other creative ways to engage our residents such as the use of technology.
INSIDE: What about yourself? How do you keep in touch with your colleagues?
Neela: Even though they are in the same lodge or even in the next room, we can no longer meet our friends from other zones.
I keep in touch with my friends and colleagues via whatsapp, calls or video calls.
During the call, we sometimes can hear each other's voices from the other room!
INSIDE: Let’s take a look at your fridge! What are the 5 most common items you’ll find?
Neela: There is home cooked food, vegetables, chicken, drinks like water and milk, and also beauty face masks!
INSIDE: Thank you Neela for your time today. Take care!
Neela: Thank you!