Support for family caregivers : what do service providers say about accessibility, availability and affordability of services?

Abstract

This paper reports on a survey of providers of caregiver support services in Singapore (N = 36). The overall aim of the survey was to provide feedback to service planners and programme staff on the delivery of services to caregivers and opportunities for improvement. A questionnaire, comprising both closed and open-ended questions, was used to collect data. The results showed that most health and social service providers offer counselling, case management, caregiver assessment, financial assistance and information. A minority provide emergency, short-stay respite care and day care. About one in three provide transportation services, which featured as a barrier to service utilisation. Other barriers identified were time commitments, lack of awareness of services, cost of care, caregivers’ sense of responsibility, lack of alternate care arrangements and distrust. The survey also characterises the hard-to-reach caregivers as homebound, illiterate, socially shy and isolated, of low income and poorly educated. Most service providers emphasise that financial support is necessary in order to improve the prospects of family caregivers.