In our last post, we covered what you should do to decide whether you should choose the nursing home option for your elderly parents. Not everyone has enough time to care for their elderly parents at home. It is often hard to juggle a stressful working life and parent support.
So what should you do if you need help caring for your elderly loved ones at home? If you don’t want to consider the nursing home option but need extra helping hands at home, these are some options for you.
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1. Get a domestic helper
Domestic helpers are a good way to provide care for your elderly parents, along with it being the most affordable option for long term care. A large number of employment centres in Singapore provide quality helpers for your parents. These helpers can assist the daily activities of the elderly such as cooking and housework, along with caring for them.
However, you should be careful when picking the right helper. According to a report by Channel NewsAsia, helpers can end up being burnt out and unable to properly take care of elderly employers as they are not specialised to do so.
If your parents are on the frail side, a specialised caregiver would be a better option.
2. Get elder sitters/befriends/ hourly befrienders
Unlike domestic helpers or some specialised caregivers, elder sitters are not live-in. Instead, they visit for a set period of time on a fixed schedule, normally for at least an hour. These sitters are all trained professionals, and are all qualified to help your parents with their needs.
The sitters will help your parents with their daily activities, along with spending time with them if they live alone to keep them healthy both physically and mentally.
Homage is one of the best options for an elder sitter, having quality sitters as well as charging as little as $20 an hour.
3. Get a specialised caregiver
If your parents have any form of health issue that requires frequent hospital visit, this is a good option.
Instead of going to the hospital, a caregiver will instead come to you to provide your parents with the checkup or medical attention. This saves you and your parents the time and energy you need to travel to the hospital.
These caregivers are also specialised, knowing exactly what to do and how to assist your parents with their conditions.
Certain agencies such as Xedge Resource and Active Global provide full-time live-in caregiving services. This means that they’ll provide your parents with care at any time they may need it, so you don’t have to worry about rushing to the hospital if any problem arises.
4. Senior activity centres
If you don’t feel comfortable with your parents just sitting at home and doing nothing, senior activity centres would be a good choice. These centres are typically located at the void decks of HDB flats, are are drop-in. They can provide a range of social and recreational activities that elders are familiar with, along with support services to help them with ageing.
Your parents can meet up and chat with others their age and make some new friends along the way, along with remaining active and healthy.
The most accessible one is NTUC Health, which has 10 outlets in various locations in Singapore. A more personalised alternative is Hovi Care.
5. Daycare centres
Senior daycare centres allow your parents to interact and socialise with others, along with enjoying planned activities in a group setting.
What differentiates daycare centres from senior activity centres above is that they are typically not on a drop-in basis. Your parents will have to sign up in order to participate.
Daycare centres also provide medical care to the elderly, with caregivers ensuring that they are well looked after.
NTUC Health has 23 daycare centres in Singapore, previously known as Silver Circle.
