It can be a challenge for people having full-time jobs to take care of their elderly parents. While Singapore’s workforce attempts to pivot towards one which is more accommodating of flexible work arrangements to enable people to take care of their elderly parents, some may still struggle to do so on their own.
While eldercare services such as nursing homes and daycare centres are not novel, other services have become available in recent years.
Nursing Home & Daycare Centre
Nursing homes are suitable for people who are not able to receive the care they need, especially for elderly who have more specialised care needs. The final price is given by quotation depending on the level of care required. Nevertheless, the cost to stay at a nursing home ranges between $2,000 – $4,200 depending on the level of care needed.
Daycare centres are more suitable for elderly who require some level of assistance for daily living functions such as eating or going to the toilet or have some form of mild to serious dementia and require supervision during the day. Daycare centres also usually focus on exercises, games and other activities to keep the elderly mentally active so as to slow down the deterioration of metal and physical functions. While the cost varies on a case-by-case basis depending on the level of care required, it could cost between $1,200 and $1,800 per month.
Home Care
Long-term home care involves having a certified professional come to your home to care for elderly person(s) at home. This is usually in the case where a domestic helper may not have sufficient skills or training to care for the elderly person in question.
There are pros and cons to this. The home may be a more comfortable and familiar environment for the person, and there is less hassle since there is no need to transport the elderly person to and from an eldercare facility.
Nevertheless, the main drawback is that there are fewer opportunities for social interaction and other activities which may be available at daycare facilities.
Homage lists their home care services from a certified local caregiver to be from $23 per hour, and this can be booked on an ad-hoc basis. Nursing care, where a local licensed nurse comes to your home, is also available from $26.50 per hour, and is suitable for people with more complex care needs.
Helping lists its price at $23 per hour for 3 – 6 hours, and $21 for more than 6 hours if you make bookings on a recurring basis.
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Medical Escort Services
Medical escort services allocates a professional caregiver to accompany your elderly parent to the clinic or hospital, and is useful if the elderly person is mobility-challenged or has some other difficulty getting there and back on their own.
The costs vary depending on the type of care needed, and most service providers offer a quotation upon request. An estimate from Homage is approximately $62 – $90 per round trip in Singapore. Roughly, Homage charges $23 per for such services, not including transport.
Respite Care Services
As the name suggests, respite care services are meant to give caregivers a chance to take a break. This may be necessary when caregivers are ill or if there is nobody available to take care of an elderly person for a short period of time.
Respite care could involve having a certified caregiver come to your home to provide care. Homage lists their price as starting from $23 per hour for such services and can be booked on an ad-hoc basis. Helping’s price for one-off sessions is at $25 per hour for 3 – 6 hours, and $24 per hour for more than 6 hours.
For daycare centres, the estimated cost of respite care at the eldercare facility is estimated to be $100-$150, however most centres will assess the cost on a case-by-case basis.
Available Subsidies
There are a slew of grants and subsidies which are available to support families who have to care for an elderly person.
The Migrant Domestic Worker Levy concession charges just $60 per month rather than the usual $300 for households that hire helpers to care for elderly persons. The Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) provides up to $400 for either family members or helpers to attend courses to help equip them with the necessary skills to provide better care for the elderly.
The Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme (PioneerDAS) gives a lifelong monthly $100 payout for elderly born before 1950 and require permanent help with three out of six daily living activities (eating, bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, walking, or moving around). The Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) gives an additional payout (regardless of the individual’s birth year) of $400 for households with an income per capita below $1,200, and $250 for households with an income per capita of $1,201 – $2,800.
The Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) provides subsidies for assistive devices such as wheelchairs or walking sticks, or home healthcare items such as adult diapers and wound dressings for elderly above the age of 60, and have a household income per capita of $1,800 and below, or a property annual value of $13,000 or below for households with no income.
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