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.
