As more families hire helpers to take care of seniors, SingHealth calls for proper training
From a survey of 100 helpers caring for seniors, SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) found that over four in 10 lack confidence to perform blood pressure and glucose monitoring tasks and over three in 10 are apprehensive in supervising medication.

File photo of an elderly and his caregiver in Singapore. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
SINGAPORE: Some employment agencies in Singapore are seeing more people hiring foreign domestic workers to care for the elderly or terminally ill.
Orange Employment Agency, for instance, has seen a 20 per cent increase compared to pre-pandemic times in such demand. While the agency tries to match employers with suitable candidates, it is not always straightforward, said its owner Shirley Ng.
"Unfortunately, not many helpers have the proper caregiver qualifications. What they have is the past experience in their previous job. So to me, that is half the battle won, at least they know what is expected of them,” she said.
She added that the certification typically takes six months to complete.
Ms Ng said her firm provides basic training for its helpers, and recommends external trainers for clients who have specific caregiving needs.
“Singapore employers' elderly parents may have very specific requirements for that helper. So they (the helpers) may not fit the bill 100 per cent,” she said.
EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYERS
One challenge is that some employers expect their helpers to be proficient in both household chores and caregiving, she said.
General manager at Active Global Specialised Caregivers Muhammad Asraf similarly said that this is a common issue.

"I think the main confusion for the general public out there is that they want someone to be able to do two jobs. So, if you want to hire a domestic helper, at the same time this domestic helper will have to be a live-in caregiver as well,” he said.
“We don't do that because at the end of the day, this caregiver or domestic helper will definitely suffer burnout."
He said that even if agencies provide specialised caregiver training, it is not a sustainable solution, given that helpers need continuous training and support to meet the evolving needs of the families that hire them.
HELPERS NOT CONFIDENT IN SENIOR CARE
A small study by local healthcare group SingHealth has shed some light on how ill-equipped helpers are when it comes to senior care.
From a survey of 100 helpers caring for seniors, SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) found that more than four in 10 lack confidence to perform blood pressure and glucose monitoring tasks, and over three in 10 are apprehensive in supervising medication.
This is despite more than eight in 10 seniors aged 65 and above having at least one chronic disease like diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
In close to 20 years of polyclinic experience, about 30 per cent of elderly were accompanied by helpers who were sometimes unsure if their charges took their medication regularly, said Ms Ang Kim Wai, a nurse clinician at the Tampines polyclinic.
“Some of the elderly take (their medication) on their own but they (the helpers) don't really keep their eyes on them because they have other domestic tasks to do,” said Ms Ang, who is also the main author of the research paper.
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Poorly managed chronic diseases can lead to complications and morbidity, said Clinical Associate Professor Tan Ngiap Chuan, director of research at SHP.
While SHP already engages helpers during a patient's regular visits, it is now looking to tailor a proper curriculum for them. It is also exploring conducting lessons in languages that the workers are proficient in.
For a start, it is aiming to roll out a workshop around year-end to equip them with the relevant skills. SingHealth will pilot this at its Eunos polyclinic, starting with up to 15 helpers per class.
It plans to study viability and scale, and is looking at tying up with employment agencies.
"What we can do is to bridge this gap,” said Assoc Prof Tan, who is also vice-chair of research at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Family Medicine Academic Clinical Programme.
When the helpers come together, they can provide their own unique set of circumstances, he said.
“They can share their experience taking care of an older person in the home with each other and we can identify the problems that they face, and then at the workshop we can actually address them,” he said.