TL;DR – Let’s not forget that caregivers need care too.
With the buzz around ‘quiet quitting’ in workplaces, there was a commentary from CNA about a mother-of-two who tried to ‘quiet-quit’ at home, while balancing her work responsibilities.
Well, as one of the netizens rightly pointed out in the comment section, whatever the writer shared in her commentary really showed that it is not quite possible to ‘quiet-quit’ at home.
After all, how could anyone bear to leave the kids hungry or ignore the needs of our loved ones?
Caregiving is not the easiest. Not everyone can afford a helper at home, or to engage the daycare services. It’s not just about the finances.
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What about the guilt of having to take an extra day off work for an emergency at home? Or the rationing of leave days ‘just in case’?
A recent focus group conducted by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) highlighted the plight of an employee who struggled to balance caregiving and work, with just seven days of annual leave.
Another caregiver of a dementia patient shared that he spent his time researching and joining training courses to learn more about the condition – all while balancing his responsibilities at work.
In fact, in a survey about public mental health services, about half of Singaporeans have highlighted that they wanted to see more help for caregivers.
There is hope that more support and help for caregivers can greatly improve their well-being. This is proven by another study which found that caregivers who received support in caring for their loved ones had a better quality of life.
As Singapore faces an ageing population, caregiving will only become a greater part of our societal needs. While there have been several support initiatives, it is important to continue expanding the reach and scope of caregiver support.
The good news is that NTUC is continuing its engagement with workers on their needs, to help inform policies and support programmes.
Want to have your voice heard? Check out this page to find out how to be involved in their research and outreach!