SINGAPORE: Caring for someone with dementia costs S$24,000 (US$18,490) per year after government subsidies, with nearly 9 in 10 caregivers polled believing that more can be done to support them, a new study found on Tuesday (Oct 14).
The study, which was commissioned by social service agency Dementia Singapore and carried out by research firm Pureprofile, also found that government schemes have helped reduce the cost of dementia care by about 36 per cent, with more support given to those caring for severe cases of dementia.
“Whenever there is financial burden, it just makes the caregiving so much more difficult,” said Jason Foo, chief executive officer of Dementia Singapore.
“So that's why we think that this survey will hopefully spark further and broader conversations on financial help that is required by caregivers,” he said.
The study polled 260 caregivers of people with dementia online between May 27 and Aug 3 this year. This is statistically representative of caregiver experiences as it focuses on active caregivers of persons living with dementia.
About 68 per cent of respondents were primary caregivers, 32 per cent were secondary caregivers.
It found that subsidies helped to ease the financial strain of caregivers by providing a “meaningful cushion”, but that dementia care “remains a significant expense and time commitment”, Dementia Singapore said in a media statement.
While subsidies meant their costs decreased by almost S$1,150 a month, caregivers continue to shoulder a median of S$2,020 in monthly care expenses.
The study found that care costs also increased “sharply” with dementia severity – rising by around 33 per cent from the mild to moderate stage.
Caregivers of those with severe dementia face the highest costs before subsidies, a median of S$4,081.30 per month, due to increased dependency and care demands.
However, they also receive the largest reduction in costs after subsidies, with 46 per cent of caregivers of people with dementia indicating that government support is targeted at those with the greatest care needs, findings showed.
The study had considered the direct and indirect costs faced by caregivers.
Direct costs refer to tangible, out-of-pocket expenses such as medical bills, supplies, transport and professional caregiving services.
On the other hand, indirect costs capture unpaid caregiving time, such as the hours spent providing supervision or household support.
Speaking at the study's launch at Temasek Shophouse on Tuesday, Chairman of Dementia Singapore Dr Philip Yap said one aspect of dementia care that is often overlooked is that people with dementia often suffer from "a whole host" of other medical issues such as arthritis, hypertension and diabetes.
"The cost is also significant. So that needs to be considered in the total cost of caregiving," he said.
“By quantifying both financial and time costs, we’re able to shed light on the often unseen challenges and sacrifices faced by those caring for persons with dementia in Singapore,” said Ms Eugenia Chung, Asia’s research lead of data and insights at Pureprofile.
Out-of-pocket medical expenses were the most common direct costs incurred by caregivers of people with dementia, with 80 per cent reporting such spending.
Transport costs were the second-highest contributor, affecting around 73 per cent of caregivers.
With spending on supplies and equipment being the third most common expense, findings also showed that spending rose sharply with the severity of the condition, from 34 per cent at the mild stage to 82 per cent at the severe stage.
Other notable expenses include the hiring of a foreign domestic worker, professional caregiving or respite care services, home modification for safety or accessibility, and the reduced or loss of income due to caregiving responsibilities.
The study found that caregivers of dementia patients, in general, reported a median monthly direct cost of almost S$1,300 before subsidies.
The biggest expense was the reduced or loss of income due to caregiving responsibilities, estimated at around S$2,000 a month, followed by foreign domestic worker levy and support (S$700), and professional caregiving or respite service (S$575).
“These findings highlight how the financial toll of dementia care extends well beyond medical expenses, encompassing the broader economic sacrifices caregivers make to provide sustained support,” said Dementia Singapore.
After subsidies were factored in, median direct costs dropped by more than half from S$1,290 to S$447.50 a month.
“By making caregiving significantly more affordable, subsidies ensure that caregivers can focus on the well-being of one living with dementia and themselves, instead of worrying about managing monthly costs,” said Dementia Singapore.
In terms of indirect costs, the study considered the opportunity cost of lost income by households caring for someone who has dementia.
This is because researchers recognised that caregivers spend hours providing personal care, supervision or household support, and sought to impute the value of such unpaid work.
On average, caregivers spend about nine days a month on dementia care.
Caring for someone with young-onset dementia, a condition diagnosed before the age of 65, takes 258 hours.
Caregivers of individuals in the moderate stage of dementia spend about 243 hours providing care, while those supporting someone in the severe stage spend around 292 hours.
Dementia care includes duties like toilet visits, eating, housekeeping, transportation, financial matters and supervision of the person’s safety, among others.
Valued against household wages, this caregiving time equates to a median of S$1,218.75 per month, said the agency.
The report also showed that an average of 83 hours was spent on supervision to prevent dangerous events, 70 hours on daily care such as toilet visits and eating, and about 63 hours on housekeeping, transportation, taking medication and financial matters.
The study also revealed that caregivers slept an average of 6.1 hours a day.
This is consistent across early and non-early onset of diagnosis, with those caring for those with severe dementia sleeping slightly less than 6 hours a day.
In terms of government or community support, 62 per cent of respondents reported receiving some form of government or community support.
However, 89 per cent believe more can be done to enhance assistance for caregivers of persons living with dementia.
Singapore residents caring for individuals can access a range of government and community subsidies offered by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
These include long term care subsidies, the Home Caregiving Grant, the Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance scheme, Eldershield or CareShield Life and the Migrant Domestic Worker Levy Concession.
With 95 per cent of persons living with dementia residing at home, caregivers often face the challenge of balancing employment with their responsibilities.
Since taking on caregiving responsibilities, 65 per cent of caregivers had experienced disruptions to employment.
According to the study, 58 per cent of respondents remain employed while caregiving, while 42 per cent are not in the workforce and take on care costs without a steady income.
Dr Yap said some people with dementia have worked right till the point of diagnosis, and the loss of income from losing their job is often not considered.
He added that as dementia progresses and the individual becomes unable to live independently, the “last option” of moving into a care centre will further increase expenses if they do not have loved ones to look after them.
"So we will see a society whereby there will be fewer and fewer people with dementia with familiar caregiver support. So this is a concern," he said.
06:13 Min
For 51-year-old Elizabeth Chong, love is the only reason she needs to look after her 78-year-old spouse, Ng Chee Yat, who is diagnosed with dementia. Even as she struggles with the daily challenges of caregiving, she speaks of her love, sacrifice - and fear of one day being forgotten.
Continue reading...
The study, which was commissioned by social service agency Dementia Singapore and carried out by research firm Pureprofile, also found that government schemes have helped reduce the cost of dementia care by about 36 per cent, with more support given to those caring for severe cases of dementia.
“Whenever there is financial burden, it just makes the caregiving so much more difficult,” said Jason Foo, chief executive officer of Dementia Singapore.
“So that's why we think that this survey will hopefully spark further and broader conversations on financial help that is required by caregivers,” he said.
The study polled 260 caregivers of people with dementia online between May 27 and Aug 3 this year. This is statistically representative of caregiver experiences as it focuses on active caregivers of persons living with dementia.
About 68 per cent of respondents were primary caregivers, 32 per cent were secondary caregivers.
It found that subsidies helped to ease the financial strain of caregivers by providing a “meaningful cushion”, but that dementia care “remains a significant expense and time commitment”, Dementia Singapore said in a media statement.
While subsidies meant their costs decreased by almost S$1,150 a month, caregivers continue to shoulder a median of S$2,020 in monthly care expenses.
The study found that care costs also increased “sharply” with dementia severity – rising by around 33 per cent from the mild to moderate stage.
Caregivers of those with severe dementia face the highest costs before subsidies, a median of S$4,081.30 per month, due to increased dependency and care demands.
However, they also receive the largest reduction in costs after subsidies, with 46 per cent of caregivers of people with dementia indicating that government support is targeted at those with the greatest care needs, findings showed.
Related:
FINANCIAL COSTS FACED BY CAREGIVERS
The study had considered the direct and indirect costs faced by caregivers.
Direct costs refer to tangible, out-of-pocket expenses such as medical bills, supplies, transport and professional caregiving services.
On the other hand, indirect costs capture unpaid caregiving time, such as the hours spent providing supervision or household support.
Speaking at the study's launch at Temasek Shophouse on Tuesday, Chairman of Dementia Singapore Dr Philip Yap said one aspect of dementia care that is often overlooked is that people with dementia often suffer from "a whole host" of other medical issues such as arthritis, hypertension and diabetes.
"The cost is also significant. So that needs to be considered in the total cost of caregiving," he said.
“By quantifying both financial and time costs, we’re able to shed light on the often unseen challenges and sacrifices faced by those caring for persons with dementia in Singapore,” said Ms Eugenia Chung, Asia’s research lead of data and insights at Pureprofile.
Out-of-pocket medical expenses were the most common direct costs incurred by caregivers of people with dementia, with 80 per cent reporting such spending.
Transport costs were the second-highest contributor, affecting around 73 per cent of caregivers.
With spending on supplies and equipment being the third most common expense, findings also showed that spending rose sharply with the severity of the condition, from 34 per cent at the mild stage to 82 per cent at the severe stage.
Other notable expenses include the hiring of a foreign domestic worker, professional caregiving or respite care services, home modification for safety or accessibility, and the reduced or loss of income due to caregiving responsibilities.
The study found that caregivers of dementia patients, in general, reported a median monthly direct cost of almost S$1,300 before subsidies.
The biggest expense was the reduced or loss of income due to caregiving responsibilities, estimated at around S$2,000 a month, followed by foreign domestic worker levy and support (S$700), and professional caregiving or respite service (S$575).
“These findings highlight how the financial toll of dementia care extends well beyond medical expenses, encompassing the broader economic sacrifices caregivers make to provide sustained support,” said Dementia Singapore.
After subsidies were factored in, median direct costs dropped by more than half from S$1,290 to S$447.50 a month.
“By making caregiving significantly more affordable, subsidies ensure that caregivers can focus on the well-being of one living with dementia and themselves, instead of worrying about managing monthly costs,” said Dementia Singapore.
In terms of indirect costs, the study considered the opportunity cost of lost income by households caring for someone who has dementia.
This is because researchers recognised that caregivers spend hours providing personal care, supervision or household support, and sought to impute the value of such unpaid work.
On average, caregivers spend about nine days a month on dementia care.
Caring for someone with young-onset dementia, a condition diagnosed before the age of 65, takes 258 hours.
Caregivers of individuals in the moderate stage of dementia spend about 243 hours providing care, while those supporting someone in the severe stage spend around 292 hours.
Dementia care includes duties like toilet visits, eating, housekeeping, transportation, financial matters and supervision of the person’s safety, among others.
Valued against household wages, this caregiving time equates to a median of S$1,218.75 per month, said the agency.
The report also showed that an average of 83 hours was spent on supervision to prevent dangerous events, 70 hours on daily care such as toilet visits and eating, and about 63 hours on housekeeping, transportation, taking medication and financial matters.
The study also revealed that caregivers slept an average of 6.1 hours a day.
This is consistent across early and non-early onset of diagnosis, with those caring for those with severe dementia sleeping slightly less than 6 hours a day.
Related:
CAREGIVERS SEEKING MORE SUPPORT
In terms of government or community support, 62 per cent of respondents reported receiving some form of government or community support.
However, 89 per cent believe more can be done to enhance assistance for caregivers of persons living with dementia.
Singapore residents caring for individuals can access a range of government and community subsidies offered by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
These include long term care subsidies, the Home Caregiving Grant, the Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance scheme, Eldershield or CareShield Life and the Migrant Domestic Worker Levy Concession.
With 95 per cent of persons living with dementia residing at home, caregivers often face the challenge of balancing employment with their responsibilities.
Since taking on caregiving responsibilities, 65 per cent of caregivers had experienced disruptions to employment.
According to the study, 58 per cent of respondents remain employed while caregiving, while 42 per cent are not in the workforce and take on care costs without a steady income.
Dr Yap said some people with dementia have worked right till the point of diagnosis, and the loss of income from losing their job is often not considered.
He added that as dementia progresses and the individual becomes unable to live independently, the “last option” of moving into a care centre will further increase expenses if they do not have loved ones to look after them.
"So we will see a society whereby there will be fewer and fewer people with dementia with familiar caregiver support. So this is a concern," he said.
06:13 Min
For 51-year-old Elizabeth Chong, love is the only reason she needs to look after her 78-year-old spouse, Ng Chee Yat, who is diagnosed with dementia. Even as she struggles with the daily challenges of caregiving, she speaks of her love, sacrifice - and fear of one day being forgotten.
Continue reading...