Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at 2013 Model Caregiver Awards Ceremony, Hyflux Innovation Centre, on 16 November 2013

Mr Tim Oei, CEO, AWWA,

Partners from the Health and Social Service Sector, 

Caregivers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.            Good morning. I am delighted to join you here today, and appreciate the opportunity to interact with all the caregivers who have taken precious time off from their onerous duties to attend this event. I would also like to congratulate this year’s model caregiver award recipients. But whether or not you are an award winner, all of you are victors in your own right. You have shown resilience, resourcefulness and devotion in caring for your loved ones. You have set a good example for others, and therefore all of you should be proud of yourself.

2.         Singaporeans should take care of our loved ones when they age or become unwell. It is an expression of the often noted Asian trait of filial piety. Caregiving also brings families closer together. This is an important value that we must not lose. However, as Singapore’s population ages, we need collectively to better prepare ourselves for a heavier caregiving responsibility in the future. The number of seniors is expected to increase threefold to reach 900,000 in 2030. At the same time, the old-age support ratio[1] is expected to decrease by about two-thirds to about 2.1. This means we will face greater challenges in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.

3.         You all have many inspiring stories to share, stories of persistence, resolve, sacrifice and love. I have heard some of them, and am truly heartened by how each caregiver has overcome great adversity in caring for his or her loved one. We have young caregivers such as 16-year old Naqiyah and the Yap siblings, Rebecca and Rachel, who are helping their parents care for their siblings with disability. 18-year old Jennifer also deferred her studies to care for her late cancer-stricken father alongside her mother. We also have elderly spouses looking after each other, such as 73-year old Madam Thaw and 71 year-old Mr Cheong. We also have middle-aged parents such as Mdm Nuraini and Mr Yusuf, as well as Mdm Cheong, Mdm Susan Yeo, Mdm Ivy Goh, Mdm Nurshidah and their husbands, caring for their children with disability. It is certainly not an easy journey for caregivers. They have sacrificed their work, jobs and even, their personal lives, and we can, and must, do more as a society to support them, so that it will not be a lonely journey that they take. It is with this end in mind that the Government has taken concrete steps to enhance caregiver support in Singapore.    

Providing Better Caregiver Support

Improving Access to Caregiver Information and Resources

4.         First, we are improving access to information and resources for caregivers. Caregivers are often under-prepared when they first become caregivers. They are uncertain about the resources and skills they require in caregiving. They also find it challenging to navigate the different avenues of assistance. We have therefore made it more convenient and less daunting for caregivers to seek help.

5.         Earlier in April this year, we merged the aged care functions under AIC, to provide greater care integration and convenience to caregivers. Caregivers of the elderly can now contact just one agency, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), to receive information, and be referred to the right services across the health and social aged care sectors. Caregivers can call AIC’s hotline or visit AIC at City Square Mall to receive immediate assistance. In addition, we have sited Eldercare Info Corners at 30 locations island-wide such as acute hospitals and Community Clubs to make relevant information more widely available. Earlier in July this year, AIC launched Singapore Silver Pages v2.0 which is an enhanced information portal on eldercare and caregiving. Persons with disabilities and their caregivers can also turn to SG Enable, an agency set up in July this year to look after their needs.

6.         Other than information, caregivers have their own psycho-emotional needs. They struggle with managing their own stress and emotions, handling the fluctuating emotions of their loved ones, and working with their family members to coordinate care. We have therefore made it easier for caregivers to provide mutual support through Carers SG, an online community for caregivers to share information, resources and experiences. To date, it has supported over 4,600 members. We also work with partners such as AWWA to implement caregiver support programmes, for example, AWWA’s Caregivers Connect Portal and Caregivers Mentoring Programme.

Enhancing Care Services

7.         Second, we are enhancing our care services to ease the caregiving burden and better support caregivers in caring for their loved ones at home and in the community. We are expanding capacity in the home care sector, to serve up to 10,000 persons by 2020. We have also formed a Home Care Work Group earlier this year to review strategies for developing home care. It is expected to complete its review early next year.

8.         We are also building more eldercare centres in the community. We now have a network of about 60 eldercare day centres providing day services such as day care, dementia day care and day rehabilitation services. To better serve our seniors who may have different needs, we have started to develop Senior Care Centres, or SCCs. SCCs provide a range of aged care services such as day care, dementia day care, day rehabilitation and basic nursing services under one roof. This provides greater convenience to caregivers and seniors. We have opened three new SCCs, and will be opening three more SCCs over the next six months. By 2020, we plan to develop about 60 new SCCs to serve an additional 5,500 seniors. MSF is also ramping up adult disability care services, including growing the number of Day Activity Centre places from the current 1,000 to close to 1,500 by 2020.

9.         We are exploring ways to provide short-term respite care so that caregivers can take a much-needed break and recharge. One example is our Nursing Home Respite Care Pilot where 15 participating nursing homes provide subsidised beds to help caregivers take care of their seniors between 7 to 30 days in a year. The pilot has since benefitted some 70 clients. Under the pilot Drop-in Disability Programme, centres in Telok Blangah, Ang Mo Kio, Bedok and MacPherson can also help caregivers take care of persons with disabilities who have minimal care needs for a few hours a day, a few times a week, at no charge. Since its launch in August this year, over 10 clients have utilised this service.

Increasing Caregiving Affordability

10.       Third, we are constantly reviewing our financial schemes to make caregiving more affordable. In 2012, our Intermediate and Long-Term Care subsidies, which can be used for services like home and community care, were expanded to include up to two-thirds of Singaporeans. We also enhanced our Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, or SMF, to make it easier for seniors to seek subsidies for assistive devices and daily consumables such as diapers and milk feeds so that they can be cared for at home. More than 2,000 households have received approximately $2 million worth of subsidies under the enhanced scheme. Persons with disabilities can turn to the Assistive Technology Fund and Special Assistance Fund which provide subsidies for the cost of assistive technology and equipment. There are also grants to lower the costs of hiring and training domestic helpers such as the Foreign Domestic Worker Grant and Caregivers Training Grant.

Coming Together as a Society to Support Caregivers

11.       The Government will do its part to better support caregivers but we need to come together as a society to better recognise the important role that caregivers play. Many caregivers find their social circles shrinking after they become caregivers. They also find it difficult to continue working. The larger community, including the friends and employers of caregivers, therefore need to start a conversation on how we can be more understanding and supportive of caregivers. Today’s Model Caregiver Award is a small step towards recognising the contributions by caregivers.

Conclusion

12.       Caregiving can be overwhelming. We salute you for your selfless love and appreciate the many challenges you face. We want to assure you that the government will continue to strengthen our services and policies to better support you in this journey of love and care.

13.       In closing, I would like to thank AWWA for organising this deeply meaningful event, and I wish all caregivers the very best as you continue to show your love and devotion in caring for your loved ones.

[1]Source: Singstat and Population White Paper (Page 13). Old Age Support Ratio refers to persons aged 20-64 years per elderly aged 65 years & over. It is projected to fall from 5.9 to 2.1 between 2012 and 2030.