
More caregivers seeking help in Singapore amid rising stress, low quality of life
Since last year, for example, the Caregiving Welfare Association (CWA) has seen the number of clients under its home care programme – which aims to help seniors age in place and reduce caregiver burden – rise from 60 to about 200.
Still, support groups say more can be done to help caregivers.
This is especially as they have a lower quality of life compared to non-caregivers in all fields, according to the Ministry of Social and Family Development's latest family trends report released last week.
Significantly, the largest gap between caregivers and non-caregivers – 60.3 per cent versus 64.6 per cent – was in the environment domain, which involves issues such as 'access to social services' and finances'.
Caregivers scored lower in the social relationships and physical domains as well.
The report also showed a 6-percentage point difference in caregivers' satisfaction with family support, with just half scoring satisfactory.
MANY STILL HOLDING BACK
CWA said while there are more caregiver grants and financial assistance available, many caregivers are holding back.
'Many caregivers we find are still unaware of the help available, or sometimes they may even hesitate to ask for help due to stigma or a sense of duty. So in a cultural sense, it usually falls under filial piety, so they don't really see themselves or identify themselves as caregivers,' said the charity's marketing and donor management executive Sharlene Ferry.
'So definitely, in this area, awareness and also public education is very important.'
She added that many also fail to identify themselves as caregivers, as they merely think they are looking after their loved ones without realising they are performing complex caregiving work.
One of the biggest challenges faced by those caring for seniors is burnout, Ms Ferry pointed out, with many belonging to the sandwiched generation. They also feel isolated as they are forced to put their social lives on the backburner, she added.
For example, a client of CWA was a 78-year-old retiree caring for his wife.
'His days were often actually very quiet, so he fell into isolation … and he had a lingering sense of uncertainty, because as a senior, he did not have the same energy that he once had, and he was unable to care properly for his spouse,' said Ms Ferry.
The client ended up joining a support group at CWA to improve his emotional wellbeing.
'Support groups are a safe and supportive space where they can actually come together to actually share their experiences and also engage in different types of sessions, such as art therapy or mindfulness-based sessions,' Ms Ferry noted.
MORE RESPITE CARE, EMERGENCY PLANNING
Meanwhile, TOUCH Community Services told CNA it believes more respite care and emergency planning can improve caregivers' quality of life by offering them more rest opportunities and less anxiety.
The charity also operates a care hotline and has seen a 20 per cent jump in caregivers calling in for help.
'We've got a lot more corporates coming to us requesting caregiver talks. As corporates, they have their own pool of employees, and they do realise that employees are also facing certain caregiving issues,' said Ms June Sim, group head of TOUCH Caregivers Support.
Apart from spending time caring with their loved ones, caregivers have to foot medical bills and other expenses. Some have to quit their jobs or switch to part-time work to be there, Ms Sim added.
She said that while government and organisational support is essential, help from the community is also important, with a simple message or meet-up going a long way in reducing caregivers' stress and loneliness.
Despite the challenges, the social service agencies said caregiving can be meaningful.
Ms Ferry said she has heard from caregivers in CWA's programmes that they have grown closer to their loved ones and 'discovered certain strengths that they didn't know they had'.
'I definitely believe that with the right tools and the right support, these caregivers can actually find moments of connection or even joy through this caregiving journey,' she added.
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'The more internships, the better': Why some secondary school students are starting the hustle early
SINGAPORE: While many teenagers spent their March school holidays catching up with friends, Secondary 4 student Aloysius Lim had a different plan. Instead of hitting the badminton courts with his friends, the 16-year-old was busy interning – his first experience in the working world. The Temasek Secondary School student, an ex-student council president and former captain of the school's softball team, spent two months interning at social enterprise Make the Change. It initially felt "strange" to turn down his friends' social invitations because he had to work, he said, especially as some friends did not understand why he was doing an internship at his age. But the question he asked himself was: "Why didn't I start earlier?" FROM STUDENT PROJECTS TO REAL-WORLD PURPOSE Aloysius' interest in social innovation – finding novel solutions to pressing social needs – began when he designed interactive booths to promote healthy living at a school event. He realised he wanted to make a "tangible difference" in people's lives. Still, internships did not cross his mind until a chat with his school's education and career guidance counsellor, who encouraged him to apply to Make the Change. It didn't occur to him that internships were an option for secondary school students, Aloysius said, adding that students are used to schools organising everything for them. "But it's important for us to recognise that you can create these opportunities for yourself. You don't have to wait for your school to initiate it; you don't have to wait for your school to hand you an invite on a silver platter." Aloysius' internship was meant to be a week-long programme, during which he represented the social enterprise at a youth festival and facilitated discussions at a workshop. But he chose to extend it for another two months while attending school, determined to complete a project he had been working on. ONE INTERNSHIP AT A TIME Aloysius is part of a small but growing group of secondary school students proactively seeking internships – often unpaid – as a way to gain work experience and explore career paths early. Sarah, a Year 4 student at Raffles Girls' School (RGS) who spoke under a pseudonym, shares the same mindset. She sought out her first internship in Year 3, shadowing a nephrologist or kidney specialist at a primary care family clinic. "(For) a lot of people, the reason why they start internships maybe in JC is because they're not really sure which field they're interested in,' she said. But Sarah had always been "obsessed" with health since she was a child and knew she was interested in medicine as early as lower secondary. During the June school holidays this year, she interned at a dental clinic to explore another medical specialisation. Observing different practitioners helped her understand the daily work of various doctors, Sarah said. But she also has a more practical reason for pursuing these internships – they look good on university applications, especially for overseas institutions, as they show commitment to the field. "The more internships, the better. You do one every holiday, you'd have five or six by the time you go to university,' she said. Both of Sarah's internships lasted five days, which she felt was enough to gain insight into each role. Neither Sarah nor Aloysius was paid for their internships, but both said the experience was more valuable than financial compensation. SUPPORTIVE PARENTS, CHALLENGES FACED Parental support has been key for both students. Aloysius said his mother had "no qualms" about his decision to intern, knowing he was passionate about the cause. Though she doesn't speak English well and found it hard to fully grasp the nature of his work, she gave him full freedom to pursue it. Sarah also received support from her family – particularly from her father, who helped her secure her first internship. Primary school teacher Evelyn Wu, a 47-year-old mother of three, remembers her own internship experience well. When she was in Secondary 3, she did a week-long work attachment in a lab that studied bacteria, fungi and viruses. That one week, she said, was unforgettable and confirmed her decision to pursue science. Ms Wu, who teaches science and math, now encourages her three daughters to pursue similar hands-on experiences. But securing internships can be challenging for secondary school students. Her eldest, 15-year-old Nadia Sze en Shahnawaz, said she hopes more companies would be open to taking on secondary school students as interns. The Secondary 4 student from CHIJ (Toa Payoh) wanted to intern at a pet shelter during the June holidays. She applied to various organisations but was told she had to wait until she was 16. "I basically could not find anything at all," she said. "There was nothing for me to do." Nadia hopes to become a marine biologist and is aiming for a research scholarship in polytechnic – a key step towards her dream university in Australia. She was willing to take on any internship or work attachment to build experience, even outside her area of interest. "I'm completely aware of the fact that there might be some problems in taking in secondary school students, because I mean, we aren't adults yet. So I can understand from that point of view,' said Nadia. "But I wish there were more opportunities for me to do certain things that I wanted to do, because there really isn't a lot that I can do as of right now to build up my portfolio." Aloysius landed his internship at Make the Change after he wrote to the organisation and cleared two interviews. Sarah's journey was more difficult. She spent four months applying to hospitals and clinics, all of which turned her down. She ended up enlisting her father's help, who linked her up with a doctor he knew at the primary care family clinic. She asked that the name of the clinic not be published as she was unsure if it was open to taking in other student interns. Her second internship at the dental clinic was easier, thanks to support from her school. RGS encourages its students to explore work attachment opportunities through its Work Experience Programme. Year 4 students are invited to apply for attachments with partner organisations across different sectors. "These experiences help them gain greater clarity about their interests, values and strengths, and how these may align with different career pathways," the school said. The programme is supported by alumni, parents and the wider school community. While participation is voluntary, the school said interest has remained strong over the years. 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CNA
15 hours ago
- CNA
Pilot error or technical fault? Air India crash report deepens mystery of fuel supply cut
SINGAPORE: Air India flight AI171 crashed in June because the plane's fuel control switches were moved to cut-off position, starving the engines of fuel, according to a preliminary report on the deadly disaster. The report explains why the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. But it raises questions as to how the fuel supply to both engines could have been cut off, given the design of these controls. In a cockpit voice recording, one pilot is heard asking the other why he flipped the switches. The pilot responds that he did not do so. The plane was seen losing altitude. Seconds later, the fuel switches were flipped to turn the fuel supply back on. But it was too late to stop the plane's descent. It crashed into a medical college hostel, killing all but one of the 242 people on the plane. More than 30 people on the ground also died. The preliminary report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on Saturday (Jul 12), showed that the crash was unlikely to have been caused by pilot error, said aviation experts. Fuel control switches are not like light switches, which can be turned off and on accidentally when you hit them, Mr Chow Kok Wah, a former airline executive in aircraft maintenance, told CNA. 'It's a metal switch with a knot sticking out. You have to pull the switch and lift it up over a metal obstacle, and then release it back in,' he explained. 'There's no way that you can accidentally knock it and then it goes in the opposite direction.' Mr Eshan Khalid, a former pilot and aviation expert, told Reuters 'deliberate action' was needed to move the fuel control switches. The pilot's exchange in the audio recording also showed that there were attempts to move the switch back to "run" mode. 'From the findings, it tells me that it wasn't pilot error,' said former pilot Marco Chan, a senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University's aviation school. 'And there's nothing, at least for now, for the time being, that points to a pilot error from the cockpit voice recorder. It appears they are trying to recover the flight from going down to the ground.' Timeline of events Here's a detailed timeline of what happened aboard AI171 moments before the crash: 7.55.15am GMT: The aircraft requested taxi clearance, which was granted by air traffic control. A minute later, the aircraft taxied from the bay to Runway 23 via Taxiway R4, backtracked and lined up for take-off. 8.02.03am: The aircraft was transferred from ground to tower control. 8.07.33am: Take-off clearance issued. 8.07.37am: The aircraft started rolling. 8.08.39am: Aircraft lifted off. "The aircraft air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode, consistent with liftoff," the report said. 8.08.42am: Aircraft reached max airspeed of 180 knots. "Immediately thereafter, the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec," the report said. "The Engine N1 and N2 began to decrease from their take-off values as the fuel supply to the engines was cut off. "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so. "The CCTV footage obtained from the airport showed Ram Air Turbine (RAT) getting deployed during the initial climb immediately after lift-off "The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall." 8.08.47am: Both engines' values "passed below minimum idle speed", and the RAT hydraulic pump began supplying hydraulic power. 8.08.52am: Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch transitioned from CUTOFF to RUN. 8.08.56: Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch also transitions from CUTOFF to RUN. "When fuel control switches are moved from CUTOFF to RUN while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's full authority dual engine control (FADEC) automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction," the report stated. "Engine 1's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Engine 2 was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and reintroduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery." 8.09.05am: One of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY". 8.09.11am: Data recording stopped. 8.14.44am: Crash fire tender left the airport premises for rescue and firefighting. 'TRICKY THING' Mr Chan told Reuters that the report pointed to a chip malfunction. He believes the cutoff came from an error with the chip, for which the engine manufacturer previously issued a service bulletin advising maintenance in order to prevent signal loss. "Once you have a loss of signal, the fuel isn't commanded, ... then there's no fuel going to the engine, which seems to have matched what the service bulletin was saying with this current investigation," said Mr Chan. However, Mr Kwok said a chip malfunction was 'very unlikely'. The fuel control switches are a very crucial function in the operation of a plane, and whoever designed them would have thought of all these possibilities, he added. '(They) would not have designed it in a way that a malfunction could cause the engine to shut down, because it's a very, very serious matter,' said Mr Kwok. 'And the fact that it happened to two engines almost simultaneously would put the probability at near zero.' He also noted that, according to the report, the engines had responded positively after the pilots noticed the switches' position and changed them back. 'If it were a malfunction, would it come on again? Both of them?' he asked. 'It's very, very, very unlikely.' Asked what else could have caused the switches to move, Mr Kwok said it was a 'tricky thing'. 'All we can say is somebody operated the switch. It will not move on its own.' Warning against speculation that the pilots could be responsible, Mr Khalid raised the possibility that some clarification might be needed from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau as an explanation. It is not clear from the short exchange between the pilots if they were referring to the switch position or the engine states. Their exact words were not stated in the report, which summarises the events. 'Maybe it (the bureau) will clarify in due course of time that it was not the fuel cutoff switch, but the fuel shutoff valve that probably switched off while the fuel cutoff switch continued to remain in its position," Mr Khalid suggested to Reuters. REPORT GIVES BASIC INFORMATION The preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults on the Air India Boeing Dreamliner, and that all required maintenance had been carried out. Asked if there should be more checks on fuel control switches given the lack of answers on how the controls moved, Mr Kwok pointed out that the authorities and manufacturers had not yet issued any guidance. There has been no factual evidence to support the conclusion that immediate action was needed to be taken on similar planes, he added. Mr Kwok also noted that in aviation investigations, the preliminary report only serves to provide the public with some basic facts to prevent unnecessary speculation. Now that the report has been released, a more thorough investigation will take place before a final report, he said. The authorities and manufacturers will likely look at the plane's engine start system once more. 'A month is a bit hard for them to do all that stuff,' Mr Kwok said. Should they find nothing, the investigators will then look at other possibilities, such as the background and behaviour of those in the cockpit, he added. "Now the focus is entirely on the start switch. And if the start switches are working properly, then it must be (that) somebody moved it,' he said. 'Who, is the question.'


CNA
15 hours ago
- CNA
More caregivers seeking help in Singapore amid rising stress, low quality of life
SINGAPORE: More caregivers are turning to social service agencies for help, with some organisations seeing a three-fold increase in sign-ups for support group programmes and financial aid. Since last year, for example, the Caregiving Welfare Association (CWA) has seen the number of clients under its home care programme – which aims to help seniors age in place and reduce caregiver burden – rise from 60 to about 200. Still, support groups say more can be done to help caregivers. This is especially as they have a lower quality of life compared to non-caregivers in all fields, according to the Ministry of Social and Family Development's latest family trends report released last week. Significantly, the largest gap between caregivers and non-caregivers – 60.3 per cent versus 64.6 per cent – was in the environment domain, which involves issues such as 'access to social services' and finances'. Caregivers scored lower in the social relationships and physical domains as well. The report also showed a 6-percentage point difference in caregivers' satisfaction with family support, with just half scoring satisfactory. MANY STILL HOLDING BACK CWA said while there are more caregiver grants and financial assistance available, many caregivers are holding back. 'Many caregivers we find are still unaware of the help available, or sometimes they may even hesitate to ask for help due to stigma or a sense of duty. So in a cultural sense, it usually falls under filial piety, so they don't really see themselves or identify themselves as caregivers,' said the charity's marketing and donor management executive Sharlene Ferry. 'So definitely, in this area, awareness and also public education is very important.' She added that many also fail to identify themselves as caregivers, as they merely think they are looking after their loved ones without realising they are performing complex caregiving work. One of the biggest challenges faced by those caring for seniors is burnout, Ms Ferry pointed out, with many belonging to the sandwiched generation. They also feel isolated as they are forced to put their social lives on the backburner, she added. For example, a client of CWA was a 78-year-old retiree caring for his wife. 'His days were often actually very quiet, so he fell into isolation … and he had a lingering sense of uncertainty, because as a senior, he did not have the same energy that he once had, and he was unable to care properly for his spouse,' said Ms Ferry. The client ended up joining a support group at CWA to improve his emotional wellbeing. 'Support groups are a safe and supportive space where they can actually come together to actually share their experiences and also engage in different types of sessions, such as art therapy or mindfulness-based sessions,' Ms Ferry noted. MORE RESPITE CARE, EMERGENCY PLANNING Meanwhile, TOUCH Community Services told CNA it believes more respite care and emergency planning can improve caregivers' quality of life by offering them more rest opportunities and less anxiety. The charity also operates a care hotline and has seen a 20 per cent jump in caregivers calling in for help. 'We've got a lot more corporates coming to us requesting caregiver talks. As corporates, they have their own pool of employees, and they do realise that employees are also facing certain caregiving issues,' said Ms June Sim, group head of TOUCH Caregivers Support. Apart from spending time caring with their loved ones, caregivers have to foot medical bills and other expenses. Some have to quit their jobs or switch to part-time work to be there, Ms Sim added. She said that while government and organisational support is essential, help from the community is also important, with a simple message or meet-up going a long way in reducing caregivers' stress and loneliness. Despite the challenges, the social service agencies said caregiving can be meaningful. Ms Ferry said she has heard from caregivers in CWA's programmes that they have grown closer to their loved ones and 'discovered certain strengths that they didn't know they had'. 'I definitely believe that with the right tools and the right support, these caregivers can actually find moments of connection or even joy through this caregiving journey,' she added.