My letter to The Straits Times on the above subject is
published today, Wednesday 13th December 2017.
I
second the call by Professor Kalyani K Mehta for the Government to provide
family caregivers with a caregiver allowance (Families under pressure in ageing
society; Dec 9).
It
is just not practical for caregivers to balance caregiving responsibilities
with activities such as work, household chores and other family commitments.
Those
who are employed will most likely experience interruptions at work, frequent
leave of absence and reduced productivity, as caregiving takes up so much of
their time. There are some caregivers who are taking care of more than one
relative, and this can be extremely stressful. This is more so when their
relative has mental health issues.
It
is not uncommon for caregivers to fall into depression when they suffer
burnout. Often, they neglect their own health to focus all their time, energy
and care on their charges.
Almost
all caregivers experience financial stress associated with providing care. In
fact, lack of funding and financial support is one of the biggest pain points
that many caregivers will attest to.
Given
that caregiving is often a 24-hour task, many have little or no choice but to
give up their jobs, and this places them in severe financial hardship.
To
this end, it will help a great deal if the Government provides a monthly
caregiver allowance to enable caregivers to cope better.
Caregiving
should be viewed as a noble responsibility rather than a burden.
Raymond Anthony Fernando
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