Government to defray cost of caregiving and improve respite care for caregivers: Edwin Tong
Mr Edwin Tong, Senior Minister of State for Health, said that details of the Ministry of Health’s review of support for caregivers of senior citizens will be released soon.
SINGAPORE — The government will boost support for caregivers by defraying the cost of caregiving and improving access to respite care, said Mr Edwin Tong, Senior Minister of State for Health.
Giving an update on the Ministry of Health’s review of support for caregivers of senior citizens, which began in September last year, Mr Tong said on Friday (Jan 18) that details of the review will be released in a few weeks’ time.
He spoke to reporters after a dialogue session with 20 caregiving service providers at the office of Caregivers Alliance, a non-profit organisation.
To improve caregivers’ access to respite care, an idea is for them to pre-register with service providers such as the Lions Home for the Elders. The caregivers may then be able to contact the providers for help at a short notice.
Many caregivers also face financial challenges. On this matter, Mr Tong said that the Government would look into defraying caregiving costs by providing grants.
“We want (our seniors) to be in the community for as long as they can and to be cared for by people they know and who love them. We want to see if we can assist that financially by giving assistance for expenses or defraying some of the costs that they may invariably incur,” he said.
The needs of caregivers and care recipients may differ and Mr Tong said: “Flexibility is one key feature we want to have in financial assistance. Some of the cost depends on the individual caregiver. Some may need supplies like diapers, or medication. Some may want to use it for domestic help.”
The Government is also working closely with employers to ensure that caregivers have flexibility in their work arrangements, he said.
One of the dialogue participants on Friday was Ms Siti Hamidah S Abdullah Bahashwan, 61, who takes care of her 88-year old mother. When her mother was hospitalised for stroke two years ago, she felt overwhelmed.
“I didn’t know where to go and I didn’t have the time and energy to care for my mother at night,” said Ms Hamidah, a part-time senior counsellor at Club Heal, a non-profit which provides counselling to people with mental health issues and their families.
Her mother’s physiotherapists at a hospital provided guidance on what to do and who she could approach for help. They also helped her with the administrative work required for social assistance, she said.
Caregivers Alliance's chief executive officer Tim Lee, 55, who was also at the dialogue, said that in addition to financial help, caregivers need greater social support.
“They need to meet others like them and have the chance to come forth, share and listen to how others are dealing with caregiving challenges,” he said.
His organisation embarked on a pilot project last year called the Caregivers-for-Caregivers programme, which allows caregivers to meet up once a month to discuss issues such as depression that affect them. It is also engaging corporate and faith-based groups to increase outreach to caregivers.
