Helping Seniors Face Aging and Death

With the steady rise of seniors in the population, services catering to their needs are becoming increasingly important. This course aims to equip those in the helping professions, whether it is educational or therapeutic, to gain a perspective of aging and death so that their services to the seniors will be relevant and effective. You will also learn how to support seniors with their concerns such as fear of losing their memory, loneliness and depression, loss of loved ones, etc.

This workshop has 3 parts:

Part 1 helps participants understand the needs and challenges faced by the aging population. Specific issues are identified, and suggestions given on how they can be handled effectively. Participants will deal with a critical area in the life of seniors – that of their many relationships, in the family and wider society.

In Part 2, another important area will be examined – How to deal with the frailties associated with the senior years. Declining health, dealing with depression and loneliness, potential memory loss and the fear of dying are issues that will be discussed.

In Part 3, issues surrounding death and dying are addressed, including the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Faith is an important dimension that must be recognised.

An important point to note: While religious faith is an important aspect in aging and death, this course does not highlight any particular faith, maintaining an impartial perspective on faith in general and functional terms only. It focuses on the common human issues of aging and death. It equips participants to help seniors to live well and die well.

Course Duration: 9 hours

Part 1: Helping Seniors Find Deeper Meaning and Directions

Providing a Healthy Perspective on Aging
- Positive, negative, and a realistic view of aging
Helping Seniors to Understand Their Needs and Challenges
- Identifying common challenges in aging
- Common needs in aging
Providing ways of Dealing with Life’s Larger Issues
- Directions, purpose, and meaning
- Helping them to shape their hopes and aspirations
- Working with them on motives and energy for life
- Helping them to find ways to grow in inner character, wisdom, and love
Enabling Seniors to find more Satisfaction in their Relationships
- Henri Nouwen’s three movements in life towards wholeness
- How seniors can nurture friendships
- Assisting them to nurture their family relationships
- Helping them to find ways to mentor younger generations
- Sharing Case Studies

Part 2: Assisting Seniors to Deal with Frailties and Death

Helping Seniors to Remain Healthy – but Understand their Limitations
Helping Seniors to Come to Terms with their Declining Health
- Helping them to voice their fear of pain and inability to cope with challenges
- Enabling seniors to learn to see things positively
Showing Ways in which Seniors can Cope with Pain and Suffering
- Helping them to touch base with gratitude and hope
- Assisting them to recognise the importance of faith and community
Helping Seniors to Overcoming their Fear of Death
- How do people emotionally deny the reality of death
- Helping seniors uncover and understand the many shapes of such fears
Assisting Seniors to Manage Bereavement and Loneliness
- Using the Holmes Rahe stress scale to help understand the impact of bereavement
- Helping the bereaved understand the grieving process
- Helping seniors to deal with grief and loneliness
Helping Seniors to Deal with Depression
- Understanding the types of depression
- Discussing with seniors on how to find help in depression
Helping Seniors who Fear losing Their Memory
- Help them to understand Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Enabling caregivers who look after seniors suffering from dementia
Group discussion

Part 3: Helping Seniors Face Death and Dying

Encourage Seniors to Prepare for Death
- How seniors can face their mortality and talk about their exit plans
Helping Seniors to Prepare for the Afterlife
- Enabling them to think about living well and dying well
Encouraging Seniors to Harbour Hope
- How seniors can be encouraged to have a knothole peek into the unknown
Reminding Seniors to Aim to Be a Blessing
- How a senior can be a blessing to others
Encouraging Seniors to think about Leaving a Legacy
- Encourage them to talk about how they would like to be remembered
Helping Seniors Find Closure in Life and Death
- Showing seniors how they can bring their life to a satisfying and grateful end
- Helping them to work on meaning, identity, and relationships
Group discussion
A Concluding Parable

Dr Robert Solomon

Dr Robert Solomon served as a doctor, pastor, theological educator, and itinerant speaker. He has degrees in medicine, theology and intercultural studies. He earned an MBBS from the National University of Singapore in 1980, an M.Div. (summa cum laude) from Asian Theological Seminary in 1984, an M.I.S. (Hons) (Intercultural Studies) from Alliance Biblical Seminary in 1984, and a Ph.D. in pastoral care from the University of Edinburgh in 1993.From 2002 to 2012, Dr Solomon served as the bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore supporting different groups of people including the elderly. Bishop Emeritus Dr Solomon is a highly sought after speaker and a prolific writer. He has written more than 60 books on a wide variety of subjects, including The Hurting Heart, and books for the aging – Growing Old Graciously and A Grand Calling (on grandparenting). Bishop Emeritus Dr Solomon has spoken to many groups of seniors in Singapore and Malaysia.

Available Funding

SkillsFuture Credit: Can be used to pay course fee fully or partially.

NTUC UTAP: NTUC union members enjoy 50% unfunded course fee support, capped at $250 or $500 (aged 40 years old and above)

Social Workers, Counsellors and Psychologists working in SSAs
Medical Social Workers, nurses and doctors working in hospitals and medical institutions
Psychologists and Counsellors working in private practice
Palliative care physicians
Geriatricians
Gerontologists
Family members of aging parents and relatives

S$700

Dr Robert Solomon

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