Resources to Prepare Yourself to Care for Elderly Loved Ones
If you are new to the role of caregiving, you may have questions on how to prepare yourself to care for your senior loved one. In “You Ask, We Answer”, Prabha A. from AIC’s Quality Service Management team shares the resources on financial assistance, caregiver training, and respite services to help you get started.
Prabha A.
Customer Care Officer, Quality Service Management
- Agency for Integrated Care
How do I prepare myself as a primary caregiver? Is there any assistance that caregivers can tap on?
Answer:
AIC partners with service providers, and develops caregiver training courses. These courses cater to the physical ability and medical needs of a senior. You may wish to sign up for these courses to learn techniques and tips on caring for your elderly loved one. You can search for caregiver courses based on your learning needs with this training calendar, and contact the training provider to find out more about the course.
In terms of financial assistance, you can tap on the Caregivers Training Grant (CTG), a $200 annual subsidy which you can use to attend approved courses. Once you have signed up for the training course, submit the CTG form directly to the training provider at least two weeks before the class starts.
Caregiving can be a long journey so it is understandable that you may wish to take a break from time to time. You can tap on respite care, which has care options that range from several days to a few weeks. If you need a temporary break during the day to run some errands or have some rest, your loved one can receive respite care at participating senior care centres. Here, seniors can participate in group activities and get help with their personal care needs. If you need a longer break or if your loved one has higher care needs such as dementia, respite care at a nursing home might be an option. Here is more information on respite care services in Singapore.
You may also choose to do forward planning with “Go Respite” – a pilot programme where you can pre-enroll your loved one into a senior day care centre or nursing home. This will help save you some time when you need to activate respite care. Here is more information on “Go Respite”.
What channels can a caregiver turn to for help when facing uncertainties?
Answer:
If you have questions about caregiving, AIC has three touchpoints where help is available.
You can speak with our Customer Care Officers by calling the AIC Hotline at 1800-650-6060, or speak with Care Consultants when you drop by any AIC Link, our physical touchpoints, island-wide. Alternatively, you can also visit www.AIC.sg, a self-help resource portal where you can read about different care services and financial assistance that you can apply for.
Both Customer Care Officers and Care Consultants will provide you with information on the financial schemes and services your loved one is eligible for, as well as the application procedures. They may require background information from you, such as your loved one’s physical ability, health, preferences, and financial situation. They will also refer you to the relevant care organisations, if there is a need.
If you find it difficult to absorb the information over the phone and you have a senior aged over 60 years old in your household, AIC can arrange for a Silver Generation (SG) Ambassador to visit your home to explain the various schemes. The SG Ambassadors can also connect you to services and activities in the community and where needed, help you apply for assistance schemes.
