As Singapore’s population ages, more families are turning to domestic helpers for elderly care. 👵
Hiring a maid is an easy option for many families, since they ease the work burden at home, allowing the elderly to rest.
Yet increasingly, maids are also being instructed to provide care and administer healthcare to elderly individuals.
This approach helps with affordability and convenience, but is it really the best choice?
Most helpers only have a basic education (usually only up to a Secondary level), and they are expected to exercise judgement at home akin to a healthcare professional.
With already a large workload, is adding healthcare to the maid’s plate a good idea?
The recent news of SingHealth training maids seems to show we could be headed in that direction.
Housekeeper And Healthcare Caregiver, All In The Price Of One
With the rising costs of professional caregiving, many families are seeking alternatives.
Hiring a maid to take care of elderly loved ones is becoming a common choice.
A maid can help with household chores and provide essential support to seniors who need a helping hand.
However, caregiving comes with unique challenges that not all helpers are trained to handle.
For instance, helping seniors with medication or monitoring health conditions requires specific skills. ⚕️
And without proper training, a maid may struggle to meet all these needs safely and effectively.
So, while hiring a maid for elderly care may be practical, it’s not a complete solution. 🌍
Training Maids For The Future Of Elderly Care
To address these challenges, SingHealth launched a pilot program to train helpers in basic medical skills.
This initiative aims to boost confidence among helpers who support seniors with chronic health issues.
The program includes practical lessons on diet, exercise, medication management, and monitoring health devices.
For example, maids will learn how to prepare balanced meals and monitor blood sugar levels safely for the elderly with diabetes and dementia. 🩺
This type of training helps maids feel more capable in their caregiving roles.
(🤔How does this differ from today’s practice? Currently, most maids are simply instructed on how to care for their elderly employees. )
Medically Trained Helpers Should Get A Pay Raise For Elderly Care
Source: Pexels
As helpers take on more healthcare-related tasks, they should also see an increase in pay. 💰
Managing an elderly person’s health can be demanding, especially if it involves monitoring chronic conditions.
If maids are trained in skills like meal planning for diabetics or managing medications, their value increases.
In Singapore’s competitive helper market, fair pay could help retain skilled maids.
Government Subsidies For Elderly Care Maids in Singapore
Source: Pexels
There are government subsidies available to provide financial support for families who employ maids.
For instance, the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) offers a monthly cash grant of S$250-S$400 to families who require permanent assistance with three or more Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
To be eligible, the care recipient must meet certain criteria, including being a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident and household monthly income per person of $2,800 ceiling.
Additionally, the Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) provides subsidies of up to S$200 per domestic helper to equip themselves with the necessary skills in caregiver training courses.
Maids With Medical Training Is Better Than A Healthcare Professional
Apart from taking care of the house chores, their constant availability for the elderly family members is critical.
This constant presence can be comforting for families, knowing someone is there to help.
Households also save on the fees for hiring professional caregivers.
Having such a skilled domestic helper at home would ease most people’s concerns.
In Reality, Maids Cannot Replace Professional Healthcare Providers
Source: Pexels
While maids can provide valuable support, there are risks in assigning them healthcare duties.
Most helpers do not have a medical background and most come from low education level backgrounds.
They may be able to pick up some knowledge here and there regarding common illnesses in the elderly demographic, in training programs like the one from SingHealth.
But to view maids as healthcare professionals and hold them responsible as we would with these professionals, would be an incredibly unfair and risky affair
Choose the Right Care Solution for Elderly Loved Ones
Source: Pexels
Hiring a maid for elderly care offers families a practical option.
And with training programs like SingHealth’s, helpers can feel more confident in caregiving tasks.
But this solution isn’t for every family, especially if the elderly person has specific healthcare needs. 🧑⚕️
Ultimately, hiring a maid to take care of elderly loved ones can be a part of the solution.
But in the long term, Singapore may need more options to support its ageing population.
As needs grow, perhaps a balanced approach of using both maids and healthcare professionals is the
Related to Elderly Care:
