Caregivers whose unenviable task in
providing support to their care recipients, often 24/7 will surely welcome the
move by the Ministry of Health in rolling out the much-needed assistance
schemes (“Caregivers, service providers share views in MOH review”, January19,
2019, The Straits Times).
While caregiving is rewarding and
noble, many caregivers who do not receive adequate support will experience stress and
anxiety leading to their own poor mental and physical health.
Some caregivers take on multiple caregiving roles in the family as not
everyone is able to share in caregiving, possibly because some family members
have their own families to take care of.
A large number of caregivers have to
give up their jobs to provide care to their loved ones and in the case of those
struggling with mental illnesses, the task can be daunting. With no key social support, it is difficult
to help their loved ones to a full recovery and give them a sense of hope.
In Nova Scotia is the only province
in Canada. the government gives a monthly
allowance to caregivers under the Caregiver benefit program.
It takes much courage, conviction, sacrifice, love
and understanding to provide loving care to sick loved ones, and caregivers do
precisely that.
Sadly, most people don’t always appreciate how taxing, both physically and
emotionally, the job of caregiver can be for individuals.
Caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system. If we didn’t have
family caregivers with unpaid help, our health care system would in time to
come, collapse.
We need to come to terms that caregivers make vitally important, but often
unrecognised contributions to society.
Additionally, we have to bear in mind that when caregivers lack support,
they became isolated and lose the determination to continue in the caregiving
journey.
Raymond Anthony Fernando
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