Caregivers to get new space, support to plan for dependents’ future
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — A new Caregivers’ Space and greater efforts to help caregivers prepare for the long-term care of their dependents with disabilities are among two new initiatives, which could provide more support to close to 4,000 caregivers over the next three to five years.
Calling the role of a caregiver as “critical but challenging”, the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said: “As we strengthen support for persons with disabilities, let us not forget their caregivers.”
At the debate over the MSF’s budget on Wednesday (March 7), Associate Professor Faishal announced the establishment of a Caregivers’ Space in the Enabling Village by the end of the year.
Set up by SG Enable, an agency dedicated to helping people with disabilities, the space in Lengkok Bahru will be used for activities organised by peer support groups, as well as for caregiver training and engagement by voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and community partners.
“We want caregivers to come, learn from the experiences of fellow caregivers, and get advice and moral support as they walk their caregiving journey,” he added.
SG Enable will also work with public sector agencies and community partners to equip caregivers with information and advice to build up their self-care and caregiving skills. It will enhance its website that provides information about disability schemes, so that caregivers can better identify and access the social support needed by their care recipients.
At the same time, the agency will work with VWOs to build peer support groups for these caregivers, and to improve support for them in services and during important transition periods of their dependents’ lives, where caregivers may also face greater anxiety.
This network of support aims to support up to 2,000 caregivers over the next five years.
SG Enable currently helps persons with disabilities (PWDs) to find employment, gives them access to transport and assistive technology support, as well as provides information and referral to disability services.
To cater to the rising demand for day care, especially with more caregivers staying in the workforce, another 200 day activity centre places will be added this year for adults with disabilities, Assoc Prof Faishal announced.
Caregivers who fret about the care of their loved ones with disabilities upon their death will also get more avenues to support them in their financial planning.
For instance, the Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC), a non-profit trust company which provides subsidised services, will step up its outreach to these caregivers of PWDs, to raise more awareness of the care planning and financial education available.
“Many more caregivers of loved ones with disabilities can benefit from such peace of mind,” said Assoc Prof Faishal.
Having served more than 500 families so far, over the next five years, SNTC will work with community partners to reach out to more than 1,700 caregivers of PWDs.
MSF will also help enhance the application process for support schemes that support caregivers, especially in situations where persons with cognitive difficulties find it hard to be assessed for schemes.
MSF and the Ministry of Health have also worked to include MSF’s client assessment form (CAF) as an alternative tool to determine the level of support needs a PWD needs to perform activities of daily living.
This can then be used to support the caregivers’ application for the foreign domestic worker levy concession for PWDs and the foreign domestic worker grant.
From April, PWDs and their caregivers can get their assessment done at the special education schools or day activity centres, for instance. About 1,000 PWDs and caregivers are expected to benefit from this initiative.
