Committee of Supply 2023 debate, Day 6: Carrie Tan on bolstering support for caregivers

Caregivers are the “backbone” of the ageing care system and should be recognised and supported more formally, said MP Carrie Tan. Speaking in Parliament on Friday (Mar 3), she stressed the need for CareFare to supplement the income of stay-home caregivers from low-income families. She said bringing forward such support will mitigate the stress over finances and anxiety over their own ageing which will contribute to long-term chronic health conditions and in turn exacerbate the healthcare cost burden. Other than direct income support, the Ministry of Health can help to redistribute the day-to-day care load of caregivers by helping to scale community solutions. She urged the Government to build the community’s ageing care capacity. She suggested something along the lines of Japan’s “time banking system”, in which seniors help the bedridden when they are still physically able and exchange their “time credits” for similar services when they themselves get older and become less able.