Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the Launch of Brahm Centre’s Mindful Caregiver Programme, 13 February 2016

Mr Pradeep Kumar, Chairman, Brahm Centre
Mr Chen Yew Nah, Vice Chair, Brahm Centre
Ms Loh Shu Ching, CEO of Ren Ci Hospital,
Dr Lee Liang Tee, Clinical Director of Ren Ci
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

I am delighted to join you for the launch of the Mindful Caregiver Programme.

Mental Wellbeing and Caregiving 

1. Mental wellbeing is a prerequisite for happiness. It is not just about the absence of mental health issues. The ability to deal with challenges, manage day-to-day stress, and solve problems are important aspects of good mental wellbeing. Maintaining good mental wellbeing also reduces our vulnerability to mental health difficulties.

2. As our life expectancies increase and our population ages, one in five Singaporean residents will be 65 years old and above by 2030. The demographic changes also mean that there will be fewer caregivers to care for our seniors. Particularly with an ageing population, we will see more who need care. In fact, the caregivers will also be older, and they themselves will need care. That is why programmes such as these are useful. We want to support the Mindful Caregivers Programme because we need to support caregivers in order to enable them to take care of their loved ones. By 2030, there will only be about 2.1 working age citizens supporting each senior aged 65 and above. This is less than half the Citizen Old-Age Ratio of 4.9 in 2015.

3. Increasingly, more people will be involved, as I noted earlier, in the caregiving process for their loved ones. However, many are not mentally prepared to take on this role and are also not trained for caregiving responsibilities. As such, it is important to equip potential and existing caregivers with knowledge of the possible health conditions that their elderly loved ones may suffer from, and the underlying reasons for certain behaviours. This would help the caregivers to better accept their loved ones’ health and mental conditions.

4. Although caregiving entails great responsibility and much sacrifice, it can be a rewarding journey. To minimise emotional burden and stress, mindfulness can help caregivers to be aware of their reactions towards caregiving, and accept the thoughts, emotions and sensations that may arise from caring for their loved ones.

Mindful Caregiver Programme 

5. Brahm Centre has been focusing on developing positive mental wellbeing, and supporting persons at risk as well as persons who already have chronic or mental health conditions within the community. Over the last four years, Brahm Centre has focused on creating an inclusive community by reaching out to over 130 individuals who have participated in the regular mindfulness practice workshops, and over 20 caregivers who have benefitted from Brahm Centre’s active engagement.

6. Today, Brahm Centre continues its good work by initiating the Mindful Caregiver Programme, largely funded by Tote Board, together with private sector support from the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, the Wan Family as well as the Lee Foundation.

7. The programme is unique as it focuses on both the caregiver and the care recipient. With mindfulness as its core, the programme seeks to empower both caregivers and care recipients to reduce their own level of stress and to be calmer when handling challenging situations and issues. The programme also encourages the caregiver and recipient to be kinder to each other in speech and actions, and more accepting of each other, which is key to a harmonious relationship. I think this holds true across all relationships. This is achieved through workshops, interest groups and a support network. Within each interest or self-help group, like-minded members come together to form an informal network to support one another.

8. Through mindfulness techniques, Brahm Centre also aims to encourage inter-generational bonding by allowing the younger generation to learn more about their seniors. This can be achieved via excursions where the entire family (grandparents, parents and children) head out together on the same outing. Brahm Centre will also look at developing a biographical story book for the younger generation to record the life story of their seniors in order to better understand their preferences, perspectives as well as life experience.

9. The programme will also train the more active fellow seniors to engage caregivers who may require support in their daily care of their loved ones. Through active befriending and engagement, the senior befrienders will gain a better understanding of the support required in the community, as well as knowledge on managing age-related health conditions. Here, I am happy to learn that Brahm Centre and Ren Ci Hospital have recruited over 400 participants for the programme.

Engagement with Community Partners 

10. Brahm Centre has been working closely with partners such as National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) and MacPherson Community Centre in conducting mindfulness courses for its staff, grassroots leaders and volunteers. The Centre has also formed a partnership with Ren Ci Hospital to jointly offer caregivers training, practical caregiving skills, and tips on how to take care of their own mental wellbeing. In addition, Brahm Centre has also conducted a mindfulness course for Ren Ci nursing staff and counsellors. This puts Ren Ci Hospital in a better position to offer a holistic caregiver solution to its patients and families that include not just physical and practical caregiving training, but also mental wellbeing through the practice of mindfulness.

11. In closing, let me congratulate Brahm Centre on the launch of the Mindful Caregiver Programme, and on the contributions you have made over the last four years and the contributions you will make going forward. I wish you all the most pleasant afternoon.

12. Thank you.