About Anglo Caregivers
Being able to age comfortably at home is a preference for most elderly in Singapore. 8 in 10 elderly surveyed in a SMU study indicated so.
When you realise your ageing parent starts to require more assistance, it is time to review and evaluate how to provide your parent with the right care and support to age comfortably and safely at home.
Understanding Your Needs
Discuss with your elderly parent. Hiring a caregiver at home is a big decision. The first step is to get your parent’s involvement and consent. Having someone new in the house marks a drastic change for a senior.
List down your care requirements. What kind of caregiving tasks do your elderly parent require help with? This may include one or more of these activities of daily living - showering, toileting, dressing, feeding, assisting with mobility.
Other forms of help may be administering medication, bringing your elderly parent to doctor’s appointments.
If your parent is still relatively independent, he or she may require assistance for household tasks such as cooking, preparing meals or cleaning.
Is he or she living alone? Does he or she require companionship?
Duration of care needed. Do you require someone to be there round the clock to assist your parent? Or do you just need someone to visit daily for a few hours to help with showering and basic chores for your parent?
Deciding on Caregiver Type
Live-in Caregiver or Part-time Caregiver? Foreign live-in caregivers can be hired to provide full time, 24-hour round the clock care for your parent while local caregivers can be engaged on a part-time if you only need help for a few hours or short term basis. Learn more about a live in caregiver here. We have also identified 8 key differences between live in and part time caregivers here.
Specialised Live-in Caregiver or Domestic Helper? Does your elderly loved one need more caregiving help such as showering, transferring from bed to wheelchair? The level of care your parent need is an important factor to consider whether you should hire a specialised live-in caregiver. Domestic helpers can be good for cleaning the house and cooking for your parent. Learn about the key differences of maid vs caregiver here.
Costs of Hiring Caregiver for Elderly
Understanding the costs of hiring a home caregiver, planning and budgeting for the long term would help you manage the costs of providing ongoing care for your parent.
Costs. Part-time caregiver currently costs from $20 per hour. Live-in caregiver salaries may range from $560 to $1000. There are also other associated costs such as food, accommodation and levy. Discover the monthly costs of hiring a live in caregiver here. Read about concessionary levy for elderly here.
Grants and subsidies. Home Caregiving Grant can help support your family in your caregiving needs. Read more about the different grants and subsidies that you may be eligible for here.
Choosing the Right Live-in Caregiver
The last step is to find the right match for your parent. Competency and Communication are key factors in determining if the hiring of a caregiver works out for the long term. Standing in the elderly’s shoes, it is difficult to be around with someone 24/7 who does not really understand what you need and could not converse with you in a language you understand.
We have prepared 9 tips on choosing the right live in caregiver and identified ways for you to shortlist potential caregivers.
Interviewing the caregiver. Be sure to make the most out of the interview to see if the caregiver matches well with your parent’s preferences and requirements. We have prepared a detailed list of 74 interview questions to hire the right caregiver for you.
Before you proceed with signing a contract, learn about 16 things to know before signing an agency contract. We also have a step-by-step guide on hiring a caregiver.
Do you need someone to look after your elderly parent?
