Caregivers

Overview

This overview provides a synopsis of the current knowledge base. Having considered all the information, we make sense of it by taking a stab at the following: 1) What are the priority issues that deserve attention, 2) What are opportunity areas that community or voluntary organisations can already take action on, and 3) What knowledge gaps deserve further investigation?

Priority Issues

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Actionable Opportunity Areas

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Knowledge Gaps

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Definitions

Definition of [insert your target group / issue]

• Identify and define your target group or social issue, and state who is included or excluded to provide a sense of the scope of the issue. (For example, will the page on Animal Welfare include livestock? Or just focused on pets, community animals and wildlife?)
• It is usually easier to start with national guidelines, laws or reports from apex organisations.
• Include a comparison with how other countries define the issue if possible (e.g. Local definition of Disability does not include mental health conditions)

Key Statistics & Figures

• 210,000 people aged 18 to 69 provide regular care to family and friends, and this number is expected to rise (ST 23 Sept 2013)

Map of Key Needs & Issues

[This table and arrows acts as a kind of visual map that allows a sense of sequencing; of the broad preconditions necessary for longer term outcomes to be achieved. Hyperlink the categories below to the specific page or sub-header in the page for easy navigation, so that you can click on 'Employment' below for example, and get straight to that page / segment]

• The TOC can be articulated this way: If caregivers have the requisite skills and knowledge to take care of their dependents; are physically & mentally healthy; have strong family & peer support; adequate financial & work support; and make long-term plans for when they pass on; then they will be able to sustain the provision of care.
• Put a different way, we can also say: There are 4 key pre-conditions for parents to provide quality caregiving for the long term: 1) Caregiving Knowledge & Skills; 2) Health & Well-being, 3) Family & Peer support, 4) Financial and Work Support, and 4) Future Care Planning

Programmes		Areas of Needs / Desired Outcomes
Information on services Caregiver Training	→	Caregiving Skills & Knowledge	↘
Respite	→	Health & Mental Well-Being	↘
		Family & Peer Support	→		→	Caregivers sustainably provide quality care
		Financial & Work Related Support	↗

Sub-pages

• If there are population segments that have substantial enough information or interest, then create sub-pages for them. e.g. 'Autism' can be a stand alone pages linked to the Disability pages if the autism community is keen to populate more autism specific information. Or, artists with disability can populate a 'Arts & Disability' page.
• Insert links to these sub-pages.

Areas of Needs / Desired Outcomes

• The TOC can be articulated this way: If caregivers have the requisite skills and knowledge to take care of their dependents; are physically & mentally healthy; have strong family & peer support; adequate financial & work support; and make long-term plans for when they pass on; then they will be able to sustain the provision of care.
• Put a different way, we can also say: There are 4 key pre-conditions for parents to provide quality caregiving for the long term: 1) Caregiving Knowledge & Skills; 2) Health & Well-being, 3) Family & Peer support, 4) Financial and Work Support, and 4) Future Care Planning

Programmes		Areas of Needs / Desired Outcomes
Information on services Caregiver Training	→	Caregiving Skills & Knowledge	↘
Respite	→	Health & Mental Well-Being	↘
		Family & Peer Support	→		→	Caregivers sustainably provide quality care
		Financial & Work Related Support	↗
					↗
				Future Care Planning

[Insert Need Area / Desired Outcome]

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions

[Insert Need Area / Desired Outcome]

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions

[Insert Need Area / Desired Outcome]

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions

[Insert Need Area / Desired Outcome]

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions

[Insert Need Area / Desired Outcome]

• Desired Outcome: [To insert]
• Synopsis: [To insert]
• Statistics: [To insert]

Existing Programmes	Gaps & Their Causes	Possible Solutions

References

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Need for caregivers to be aware of professional services for their care recipients

Existing Resources

Information portals and helplines AIC's sliver pages

Gaps and Their Causes

Awareness of services is high (National Surveyof Senior Citizens) but lack clarity on how the services actually work. Caregivers typically have to piece together multiple support services that may not be designed to work together (see NCSS 2016 Who Cares?)

Possible Solutions

Install caregiver programmes in institutions (e.g. Hospitals) where care recipient may be taken, and for physicians to assess caregivers own health when they take care recipients for medical consultations

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Need for public to be aware of and be emphatic of the heavy burden of caregiving

Existing Resources

Advocacy and public education of various VWOs

AWWA's Model Caregiver Awards

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

A gamified system that rewards accumulatively instead of awards that reward once off?

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Need for know-how and skills to provide competent and adequate care

Existing Resources

Training grants Caregivers Training Grants

Training programme TOUCH Caregiver's Alliance Ltd SCCL Caregivers Workshop

Sharing platforms for fellow caregivers -TOUCH Facebook group

Gaps and Their Causes

Affordable because caregivers pay virtually nothing for these programmes, but the content can be improved for context-specificity (each caregivers circumstance is different and dependent on condition of care recipient). Are we faced with provider-centric training programmes rather than those that meet skill needs of caregivers? Accessibility of such training workshops may be an issue as caregivers may not be able to afford time or energy to attend formal courses.

Possible Solutions

Tap into the collective intelligence of care providers

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Need for support and shared responsibilities with secondary caregivers and larger community

Increasing reliance on foreign domestic workers to provide caregiving But 18% do not have any other person to assist them, 44% has one other person, and 27% have tow other persons (Ng Guat Tin 2006: 11)

Existing Resources

SCCL Workshop - 'Caregiving is a Shared Family Responsibility'

Gaps and Their Causes

Primary caregivers tend to should burdens on their own because of cultural norms such as expectation that caregiving is a responsibility they should shoulder on their own (See NCSS 2016: 43). Stress and anxiety is caused not just by executing these responsibilities, but also by the lack of clarity about such roles and responsibilities.

Possible Solutions

Help caregivers develop trust with ability to share and delegate responsibilities with secondary caregivers or others.

Normalize such conversations about caregiving roles and responsibilities (NCSS 2016: 47)

Tap into RCs, CCs

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Need Yo utilize relevant professional services]

Existing Resources

Centre-based

Home-based

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Need for [ insert description ]

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Need for [ insert description ]

Existing Resources

Gaps and Their Causes

Possible Solutions

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Resource Directory

[insert organization name]

Insert web link

[insert organization name]

Insert web link