People who criticise others for paying for home care need to know this: Home Care is an investment.

Here are some reasons people use home care that you might not have known.

1. Having access to health networks.

Generally, people do not have access to a professional to receive health advice. By using a supportive private home care provider, you can have access to all these nurses for health advice. For them, there is no question that is too small to ask. A platform of nurses allows you to get in contact with many different nurses. Nurses see a variety of cases and they can let you know the best options available. Going for a doctor’s consult only allows you that 15 minutes of consultation time, and it’s never enough to truly understand your condition. Google may be your best friend, but it never tells you what you need to know specifically for your condition.

Nurses are actually a good alternative as many of them have direct contact with countless patients. Chances are, they might have good alternatives and choices through their observations. Nurses are also licensed professionals. They undergo training, most of them have a diploma or degree. Why not get some insights from them?

2. Quality of care

Not many need help in caregiving until they really need it. However, when it’s urgent, would you want to rush and pay exorbitant prices and yet have sub-standard quality care? By opting to utilise home care services early, you will have the time to assess and evaluate the quality of care provided. This is advantageous compared to an emergency where the home care services of the first available provider are often sought.

Furthermore, with domestic helpers, competence is always a question. While adept at handling household tasks, communication barriers and inadequate knowledge may be detrimental in terms of proper medical care. In fact, ignorant help will do more harm than good, causing more costs in the long run with dire consequences.

3. Convenience

Home care may cost more, but taking leave and being unavailable at your workplace might cost even more. Many people face the struggle of shuttling their senior parents for medical appointments, day care, or rehabilitation clinics. Sometimes, it’s hard to trust even family members who might not know what to ask in the doctor’s visit, or even to pass down vital medical or care instructions. Being in such dilemmas can often be soul-sucking.

For example, imagine Sally. Sally is a senior manager in a huge Company. Sally earns about $40/hour. She gets a reminder that she needs to bring her mother to see the doctor tomorrow, but she has already taken too many off days during her mother’s hospitalization prior. Using home care for $21-25/hour, Sally saves an off day and the frustration of coordinating her schedule to fit all these appointments.

Why not save your off-days for days where you can really spend quality time with your family? After all, it is an opportunity cost, and we choose which benefits us the most.

4. Have home care solutions created for you

Many people are grateful for home care advice on hindsight. Home care problems cannot be solved using a one-size-fits-all approach. It has to be tailored according to the needs and preference not just for the patient, but the family members as well.

We had a client who told us that she did not know home care could be much better when we organised care for her and her family. Because of that, her family has more rest time. In fact, we did not change any care instructions, but because of the vast experience in home care the care coordinator had, she was able to shorten and condense the tasks for her.

5. Person-centred care

As much as we want the healthcare system to serve us better, we know that we have to submit to the healthcare system according to her schedule. Have you ever felt that you need help but your specialist appointment is only 2 months later? In facing such problems of healthcare in Singapore, you are definitely not the first. This is because the institutions are systems in place to help the public at large. It is truly difficult to have the system tailored to the individual.

But with home care, resources are dedicated for an individual. Therefore, the focus on the patient makes care so personalised, care becomes manageable and less confusing. How? When you use home care consistently, the home care coordinator is able to set care goals for the patient. As a person’s condition changes, their care needs change along with it. With home care, all these are managed and followed up by the care coordinator.

The next time you know someone using home care, ask them about it and get to know what it’s like! Home care is the kind of person-centred care that we’ve, here at Jaga-Me, always wanted, and expected of our healthcare.

If you need any help understanding more about how home care can help you, or to enquire about the type of home care services available in Singapore, talk to us about it! You can call us at:

Contact: +65 8498 4598

or email is at:

Email: homecare@jaga-me.com

And our friendly and more than knowledgeable nurse coordinators will attend to your enquiries about booking home care services with us! Kick-start your home care today! Request a care assessment from our friendly care coordinator!

Award winning Home Care trusted by health professionals – Jaga-Me

1. Credibility

Credibility is one of the most important factors when choosing a home care provider to ensure quality care services. To ensure you get the best care for your loved one, you should look for reliable and dependable home care platforms that enforce credibility in their healthcare professionals. For example, their nurses should have valid practising certificates with relevant working experiences. These certifications are by regulatory boards that can provide you with some indication of the standard of services provided. For example, Jaga-Me, a home care platform that connects families to nurses, ensure that all their nurses have at least 2 years of experience in institutions, as well as certified from Singapore Nursing Board. If your family member requires medical procedures on top of care services, you will likely prefer a certified professional to be deployed to your home.

Ask your ward nurse or doctor. They know your patient best, and would be able to make a well-informed recommendation to a home care service to support the care needs of your loved one. As healthcare professionals in the field, your nurses and doctors know who are the better providers around, so be sure to ask who they work with most often!

Another way of determining the credibility of a home care provider is to look at online company reviews and testimonials. Nothing beats the personal experiences of other caregivers who have walked in the shoes you are walking in now. The ratings that come from past users can provide you with some insights into the quality of the company’s services. This can help you make a more informed decision on which home care provider is more suitable for you. Furthermore, if the company has coverage in media, or has won any healthcare or service awards, the credibility of the company is much more enforced.

2. Affordability

Engaging in health care services for your loved one can be financially taxing on you and your family especially if you require a long term care provider. According to a 2016 Straits Times article, home care services providing personal care range from $22 to $30 an hour. However, home care do bring about benefits that can outweigh the costs. For example relieving you of caregiver burnout, or ensuring that your loved one get the best care possible from professional skilled caregivers. In making your decision, consider the amount of money you are willing and able to fork out for this purpose, and check which organisations can provide you with quality care services at an affordable market rate.

Financial costs may be a barrier for many of you. However, do not let this stop you from finding the best care services for the needs your family member. There are many home care services Singapore that can be both reliable and affordable as well.

Government grants and financial assistance schemes

There are many financial schemes and assistance programmes available in Singapore. Find out the different Singapore elderly grants and subsidies here! 

3. Meeting your needs

If you have never been a caregiver, it may be difficult to understand what services you may need to cater to the needs of your loved one. First, ask yourself what daily activities he/she needs help in, including mobility needs (if applicable), and what medical supervision or procedures are necessary. For example, your diabetic mother with mobility issues needs her medication administered, and an insulin injection when you are at work. You will need someone who you trust to do these when you are out. With your loved one’s needs in mind, check out which agencies or companies offer such services and choose the one you are most comfortable with. Even better, there are home care providers that can assess the needs of the patient and develop a comprehensive care plan dedicated to care for the patient.

Secondly, consider if there are any preferences your loved one has. A common consideration is if your elderly family member speaks only a certain language. You will need a caregiver who is familiar with the language or dialect and can interact well with your loved one. Remember, caregiving is not one way – the recipient has to be receptive of the service provided as well.

4. Required locations and time

Although Singapore is well-connected, some home care services connect you with their healthcare professionals who may work only in certain regions in Singapore. You may need to check with the home care providers whether you can hire a professional to come to your home at the necessary times, or that they provide home care services island wide. Do remember to plan ahead when you need a healthcare professional at home with your family member, as your home location and requested times may affect if a suitable healthcare professional is available.

Other agencies or companies may prefer that you have a regular schedule for their professionals to drop by, such as a home visit every Monday, rather than providing ad hoc services. Consider your needs carefully in these aspects so as to ensure you find the most suitable home care provider.

All in all, finding a suitable home care provider requires research on your part to find the best provider that match your needs. You must judge for yourself what you need and who provides you the best services for your requirements. Hopefully these 4 criteria provide you enough insights into choosing the most suitable home care provider for your family member. 

Award winning Home Caretrusted by health professionals – Jaga-Me

Growing up, our parents might have jokingly asked us if we would keep them by our sides and care for them in their old age.  We always responded with a resounding yes because our young minds could not fathom why this was even a question.

Fast forward to today, we might suddenly be faced with a conundrum. Should we send our elderly parent with growing medical needs and physical dependency to a nursing home? Or do we keep them by our sides and let them age in place?

Some adult children have little choice but to opt for the former arrangement because they feel inadequate to be effective caregivers, due to limited medical sensibility. Others insist on keeping their parents at home. However, they struggle to cope with the demands of caregiving, suffering from compassion fatigue as a result.

We do not have to dwell in these extremes when home care is becoming an increasingly accessible option. Even then, not many of us readily opting for home care. Could this be due to limited understanding of home care?  

Here we look into some of the pros and cons of home care to help you make a more informed decision:

Best of Both Worlds

With home care, your elderly parents do not have to trade the comforts of home for the safety of medical care. They can receive expert medical attention even while enjoying the ease of recovering in familiar surroundings. This lessens the mental and emotional load of having to adapt to their new situation and allows them to direct all their energy towards recovery.

Cons: Based on your elderly parent’s needs, your house might need to be outfitted with additional elderly-friendly facilities. There are additional monetary and spatial costs to consider for this.

There are also instances whereby an elderly patient might be suffering from special conditions. Ones that require medical specialists’ attention and it may go beyond the scope of the caregivers’ expertise.

To make an informed decision, first, assess your elderly parents’ needs. Secondly, discuss with home care providers to find out more about the suitability of home care for you.

Flexibility in Approach

The needs and level of dependence of an elderly individual vary from time to time. This means that you might find yourself being able to cope with caring for your elderly parent in some aspects but not others. At times, you might just want a short respite from caregiving responsibilities. Since home care services are available on demand, you enjoy the luxury of choosing when and where you would like to employ the help of a caregiver.

Personalised Care

When you opt for home care, your elderly parent will be assigned dedicated care coordinators. They are able to commit the time and effort to fully understand your elderly parents’ unique needs and cater accordingly, rather than using a homogeneous approach. You should also take the opportunity to assess the suitability of caregivers, identify what works best for you and what needs to change.

Cons: While your elderly parent stands to gain from personalised care, they could be forgoing the interactions and friendships that they may develop with counterparts in a nursing or day care facility. There is great value in the sense of community that arises from the shared experiences of elderly folks living together.

Nevertheless, home care providers these days are moving towards a culture of combining both caregiving and companionship. There are many heartfelt stories of caregivers and patients developing unique bonds and friendships. Meaning which, your elderly parent need not necessarily be missing out on that aspect.

To find out about home care services for yourself or someone you know, click here now! If you are not sure of how you can go about home care, give our Customer Service team a call at 6717 3737.

Award winning Home Care trusted by health professionals – Jaga-Me