Family caregivers provide unpaid care, often at great personal cost. Many sacrifice their careers, drain their savings, and push through exhaustion and sometimes even abuse to care for their loved ones, often at the expense of their own well-being. Without them, the healthcare burden on the state would be far greater.
The total value of informal care for seniors aged 75 and above is estimated at $1.28 billion annually, equivalent to 11% of government healthcare expenditure, according to a study by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School.
I appreciate that the Home Caregiving Grant is being increased to up to $600 per month. However, the current system still assumes that caregiving is a private responsibility, with the government only coming in to provide relief.
We need a fundamental shift in recognising family caregiving as essential work that deserves proper compensation, not just relief. Caregiving should be a shared responsibility between individuals, families and society, with its costs partly socialised rather than falling mainly on caregivers.
To put this into action, I propose a tiered caregiver payment for those who reduce their work hours or leave employment to care for a family member, provided they meet a minimum caregiving threshold. They should also receive CPF contributions to safeguard their long-term financial security.
Caregiving should also be recognised as skilled work. A national certification framework should be introduced to provide formal training and better employment opportunities for caregivers, especially after they return to the workforce.
Caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system. If we truly value their contributions, we must compensate them fairly. This is not just about doing more, but doing things differently to prepare Singapore for an ageing society.
