The heavy costs of being a caregiver in Singapore

Whether it is taking care of your parents, grandparents or a relative with needs, caregivers have been deemed the “invisible workforce”. What are some of the hidden financial and non-financial costs that come with the role?
In this week’s Money Talks, Nabila Hanim shares with Andrea Heng how she manages being the primary caregiver for her ailing grandmother.
Here’s an excerpt from the conversation:  
Andrea Heng: 
Earlier you talked about some of the financial support that’s available to you as a caregiver, be it palliative care or any other kind of care. Was there anything that you wish had been subsidised or covered by Medisave? 
Nabila Hanim: 
I personally feel the helper fees can be quite heavy.
Do they just suck it up and then leave their jobs? How do you cope with that?
When my grandma was still mobile and we were still sending her for polyclinic checkups, I was amazed at the kind of caregivers that I was seeing. I was seeing university students, poly students.
And I think the most heartbreaking was the elderly taking care of the elderly. It’s really going to be quite common. I saw a 70-year-old pushing a 90-year-old in the wheelchair. And I always wonder for families who cannot afford a helper. What else can we do? 
Find more episodes of Money Talks here.
A new episode of Money Talks drops every Tuesday. Follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify for the latest updates.
Have a great topic for us? Drop the team an email at cnapodcasts [at] mediacorp.com.sg