Who cares for Singapore’s carers? Recent deaths highlight urgent need to tackle burnout
The city state crossed the super-aged threshold this year, making carer support even more critical, experts say
“Me and my dad were a tag team,” the freelance behavioural therapist said. “When he passed on, I couldn’t mourn too much because I had to handle the funeral situation as well as my mum and brother.”
She recalled an incident in April, when her brother, Bala, suffered seizures during lunch. “It was very scary for me to handle because I was terrified that he would choke. So I try not to be away for too long, check the CCTV regularly, I’m always on the lookout,” she said.
The recent sentencing of a man who had been the long-term carer for his 56-year-old brother before strangling him to death last year hit close to home for Chandramogan and other carers in Singapore, where families are taking on increasingly complex care needs amid a rapidly ageing population.