Caring for his intellectually disabled son and a mother with dementia was so stressful for Mr Liew Chong Pow that he suffered heart problems while his wife was left on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Five years ago, their then 26 year old son Jonathan had to return home to be looked after full time after he began beating up his peers at a sheltered workshop. This arrangement was especially trying because he hoarded things, had an obsession with the telephone and used a chair to bang on the door every night.
To give more support to caregivers like Mr Liew, the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) yesterday opened a new facility in Jalan Ubi. The two storey building at the Kembangang - Chai Chee Community Hub will house a dedicated Caregivers Support Services Centre and Minds largest day activity centre.
Parents and relatives can use the centre's respite care services if they need a break. Counselling, support group sessions and referral services are also provided.
The new day activity centre, which equips those with intellectual disabilities with daily living skills such as personal grooming and hygiene, can take up to 100 clients.
While Minds already has four day activity centres, the waiting list for a place can stretch up to two years.
Thoughts:
- I like that we are building up more facilities to support people with disabilities and their family members. More often than not, caregivers experience a lot of stress that they do not readily share with others, and do not know where to seek help from. With more of such centres coming up, I do think that the awareness of such services will increase, and directly helping such families.
Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big
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