New roadmap to offer more support to caregivers of persons with disabilities
AFP file photo
SINGAPORE — Amid growing concern that ageing caregivers would find it harder to care for their grown-up children and themselves, those providing care will be given greater attention under the latest roadmap to guide policies and programmes for persons with disabilities.
The third Enabling Masterplan, released yesterday, calls for caregivers to be given more help.
For instance, beyond the financial aspects, help could be given to caregivers to develop a care plan, such as in training their children to support their sibling with disability, or getting support services such as home nursing or meals on wheels, said Ms Anita Fam, chairperson of the committee for the masterplan.
She noted that the first masterplan had looked mainly at providing basic disability services, such as early childhood care and education. However, with growing support in services for the disabled and heightened awareness on the need to help caregivers, the 22-member committee saw the need to address their worries and challenges.
“The previous masterplans really focused on low-hanging fruits. They were based on the hierarchy of needs but that’s not to say the needs of caregivers are not important,” Ms Fam said. “Caring for someone with a disability can be emotionally taxing and (caregivers) can physically burn out.”
As such, there is a need to work with caregivers on a care plan, “so at every stage, they know what to put in place and where to go”, Ms Fam told reporters after a media conference at the Enabling Village in Lengkok Bahru.
The latest masterplan offers other recommendations, such as developing more support and respite options, including access to trained foreign domestic workers, and the setting up of a one-stop information portal.
Committee member Chia Yong Yong, noting that some caregivers had to leave their jobs to provide full-time care, also floated the idea of legislating leave for disability care or special-needs care.
“Parents might have to take urgent leave if a child (with autism) cannot adapt in school, or a child with physical disability may suddenly fall ... All this may not be sufficiently catered for if we are just looking at parent-care leave,” said Ms Chia, who is also president of voluntary welfare organisation SPD.
Several caregivers of people with disabilities welcomed the greater emphasis given to people like them under the masterplan.
Ms Karen Lee, 58, recalled her struggle in trying to find support from various sources when her daughter was first diagnosed with Down syndrome in 2001.
“It was a question mark (as to) what should I do, and what was going to happen,” said the real estate agent.
Having people who are able to navigate “all the different avenues” to help caregivers would be good, she added.
Madam Charlotte Tang, a 59-year-old administration staff, felt that the Government could look into developing facilities for persons with similar disabilities and levels of severity to live together under supervised care.
She is worried that her 24-year-old son, who has mild autism and currently works as a waiter, may not be able to cope on his own when she is gone.
Mr Omar Bakar and his wife, whose 12-year-old son has global developmental delay, felt that parents with special childcare needs do not have sufficient childcare leave. For example, his child’s school sometimes organises many workshops every year that are beneficial for parents like him.
“(While) we were lucky that I am working the night shift and these workshops are usually during daytime, my wife’s work schedule may not allow her to attend all of them, and she may have to use up her annual leave,” said the 43-year-old, adding that more childcare leave is one area that could be looked into.
