Keynote Address by Mr Edwin Tong, Senior Minister of State for Health, at Silver Caregivers Co-operative Limited Caregivers' Celebration Dinner 2019

Dr Kalyani Mehta, Chairman, Silver Caregivers Co-operative Limited

Staff and Volunteers with Silver Caregivers

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening.

1.        I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the caregivers present tonight. Caregivers are a unique, resilient group of people. I am happy to be able to be here, to celebrate your achievements and to thank you for what you do.

2.        Being a caregiver is no easy feat, in fact it is a tough journey. It is often a big personal sacrifice to yourselves but at the same time, one which you would undertake without even thinking twice – to care for your loved ones, to bring them comfort and also sometimes to share in their pain. I am sure that each of you have gone through your own unique caregiving journey, filled with both joys and challenges, with different stories to tell. In line with the theme of tonight’s event, we want to tell you that “The community walks with you: You do not walk alone”.

Doing more to support caregivers through the Caregiver Support Action Plan

3.        We all know that Singapore is facing an ageing population. We will see a sharp rise in Singaporeans aged 65 years and above, over the next decade or so. On the other end of the spectrum, we are having smaller families. The confluence of these two factors would mean that the caregiving burden is significantly heavier. In fact, at some stage, many of us will either be a caregiver, or a care recipient, or both. Caregivers themselves are also getting older. Last year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) set out to better understand the challenges and needs of caregivers, and to consider how best to give help to caregivers. MOH engaged caregivers and service providers from September to December last year, through 19 focus group discussions. As part of these engagements, I had the privilege to hear first-hand about the circumstances that caregivers faced.

4.        In February this year, the Ministry announced the Caregiver Support Action Plan to more directly meet the needs of caregivers. The Action Plan’s initiatives focus on care navigation, caregiver respite care services, caregiver empowerment and training, workplace support, as well as financial support. We also look at flexible work arrangements, for those caregivers who continue to work. Through this package of measures, we aim to encourage a whole-of-society effort, where many segments of society come together to walk alongside caregivers on their journeys.

Respite care

5.        The Silver Caregivers Co-operative Limited (SCCL) champions “Caring for Caregivers”, especially in the areas of socio-emotional support and training, also identified as one of the key pillars in caregiver support. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a few initiatives under the Caregiver Support Action Plan that will better support the beneficiaries of SCCL’s services like many of you here.

6.        It is important for caregivers to be able to take occasional breaks to rest and recharge, so that they can maintain their well-being and sustain their caregiving journey. Taking a break is sometimes not as easy as it sounds. We may not know when the caregiver might himself/herself fall ill, or need to attend to something unexpected or urgent. Since April this year, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has piloted a pre-enrolment system named Go Respite. Go Respite reduces the time required to activate respite care services. Caregivers can pre-register their loved ones and complete some of the administrative processes ahead of time, to cut down the time required to enrol the seniors. This will allow respite services to be activated and put in place much quicker than before. We hope that caregivers like you can benefit from this initiative, and be able to care for yourselves while you care for your loved ones.

Caregiver empowerment

7.        Beyond a strong suite of formal services for caregivers, we also want to work with partners like SCCL to provide good socio-emotional support to help you manage your emotional health.

8.        SCCL conducts monthly tea sessions on caregiving-related topics, and peer support sessions where caregivers can share on their caregiving experiences and knowledge. For example, caregivers can learn about changes accompanying ageing to understand what themselves and their loved ones are going through in the ageing process and be empowered in managing their stress in caregiving.

9.        As part of the Caregiver Support Action Plan, AIC is also working with other service providers in the community to provide more dedicated focus on caregivers who have or are at risk of developing depression, anxiety and burn-out. These teams will support caregivers in self-care through health and wellness activities, stress management and future planning. They will also link caregivers with support groups and counselling services when needed.

Caregiver training

10.       The last area I would like to touch upon is caregiver training. We want to equip caregivers with the right skills and knowledge to care for their loved ones. Today, caregivers can attend training courses using the annual $200 subsidy from the Caregivers Training Grant (CTG). By the end of 2019, AIC will be working with training providers to implement Standardised Caregiver Training Courses for caregivers to acquire skills which are more customised to seniors’ care needs, such as assistance with Activities of Daily Living, and falls prevention.

11.       Besides learning the physical aspect of caregiving, it is also important for caregivers to manage their own socio-emotional well-being. Wish to thank SCCL as being one of the few CTG training providers specialising in the psychological and emotional aspects of caregiving, and we have received very positive feedback about their courses. We hope that all of you can also continue to find opportunities to undergo training, so that you can be better prepared throughout your caregiving journeys.

Conclusion

12.       Apart from the various initiatives I have mentioned, I would like to use this chance to encourage all of us in the community to walk together with caregivers in our midst. Ultimately, it takes all of us in society to play a part. We have to recognise the caregivers amongst us, and keep an eye out – to give some temporary respite, cook a meal, help when the care recipient is ill, or sometimes just be a listening ear to the caregiver. All of these help and it goes a long way – each of us can reach out and play a part in supporting and affirming caregivers who we know. If we want to build a caring, gracious community, where our seniors can age in place, in an environment they are familiar with and know well, and in the care of people who love them the most – then we have to make sure that caregiving remains sustainable, and that we provide all the support we can to help in this journey.

13.       In closing, I would like to thank SCCL for organising this meaningful event to celebrate and recognise caregivers for their selfless dedication, and to all of you discharging this very important caregiver’s role.

14.       I wish all of you an enjoyable evening.

Thank you.