Visitors to St. John’s Home would probably have met Mr Loh, a friendly and jovial 80-year-old with a warm smile and chirpy greeting for visitors to St. John’s Home.

Divorced for more than 30 years and without children, Mr Loh used to stay in an HDB rented flat with another flat mate. But they could not get along with each other, so he took to sleeping in the hawker centre where he was working as a hawker assistant.

Then, one faithful day, Mr Loh had a fall while at work, and was admitted to the hospital, where he underwent hip replacement surgery Unable to work after the surgery and ‘homeless’, the hospital’s social worker helped Mr Loh to apply for admission to St. John’s Home.

It has been almost four years since Mr Loh first stepped into the Home.

Nowadays, Mr Loh keeps himself constructively occupied by helping to set the dining tables before mealtimes. Like clockwork, every day before each meal, he would diligently go round the dining hall to place cutleries on each table. And after each meal, he takes it upon himself to help clean the tables while the Home’s Healthcare Attendants mopped the floor.

Helping out during mealtimes gives Mr Loha sense of purpose. It is similar to what he has been doing as a hawker assistant, and he takes pride in his new ‘job’.

Mr Loh takes his responsibilities so seriously that sometimes, he would chide the other residents for littering in the dining hall, or leaving the dining hall’s doors open.

“This is a good place. I have a comfortable bed to sleep on, tasty and nutritious food to eat. I do exercise every day, and there are volunteers who visit us every week. Staying here is much better than staying in a rental flat.”