Silver Caregivers Co-operative Is Uplifting Caregivers’ Quality of Health, And So Should You

June 2022 Issue: Co-operator Newsletter Quarterly Issue 2022

Silver Caregivers Co-operative Is Uplifting Caregivers’ Quality of Health, And So Should You

What happens when life throws you a curveball? Do you shirk away and hide? Or do you meet adversity in the eye and march on?

For many caregivers around the world, these curveballs present them with few choices. The narrative is almost always the same: a close one succumbs to an illness and the responsibility to care for the sick befalls them. Often, these newly “ordained” caregivers would first struggle, before adapting and learning on the job. My father, who helps care for his mother (my grandmother) with dementia, is one of them.

One can say caregivers are cornerstones of our families. And for a long time, societies have relied on these “invisible armies” to manage and take care of those in need within their communities. To that, we must recognise and support caregivers’ efforts. But for all that they have done, it is perhaps equally crucial to remember that caregivers, too, need some care.

Enter Silver Caregivers Co-operative Limited (SCCL). Set up to better the quality of life of caregivers, the co-operative organises workshops, courses and talks to help empower caregivers with the relevant holistic skill sets for the job.

More importantly, the affiliate with the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) aims to enlighten society about the social and emotional challenges faced by caregivers, as well as spotlight their important social contributions.

Between January 2021 and March 2022, SCCL has organised online workshops and short courses for caregivers. Typically, these workshops cover content, such as “Communication strategies for improved relationships in caregiving” or “Coping with grief or depression for caregivers”. They aim to help caregivers navigate the steep learning curve required for the jobs.

There are also sharing sessions that aim to educate caregivers with content spanning across “Elder-friendly yummy food” or “Seeing and experiencing the positive in caregiving”. Earlier in March, two of SNCF’s staff members participated in “ART to UPLIFT You”, a therapeutic art workshop that taught caregivers to make use of everyday common items, such as three-in-one coffee sachets, to create art.

There is still a lot we can do to empower caregivers. The government has doled out the Enabling Masterplan also dubbed “Singapore’s roadmap for disability inclusion”, and one of the key themes includes giving caregivers for Person(s) With Disability (PWDs) more support, whether through training grants or simplifying deputyship and Lasting Power of Attorney processes for those who care for PWDs. Previous plans covered 2007 to 2011, 2012 to 2016, 2017 to 2021, and the next iteration is expected to be unveiled later this year.

Martin Chew, Director of Aged Care Services at the Ministry of Health, said in a forum letter: “As a society, we must recognise and support their efforts, with family members sharing caregiving responsibilities, and employers being understanding to those with caregiving commitments.”

What Can You Do?

If you are keen to support SCCL and are unsure of what to do, consider dropping by SCCL’s first-ever hybrid symposium - CARE-titude: The Motivating Force in Caring for Loved Ones.

Some of the symposium’s keynotes include: