Caregiver support in Singapore: stress, burnout, help

Short answerCaring for a parent or loved one can be tiring, and AIC says the stress can build up when the demands outgrow your time, energy and support. You do not have to manage alone. AIC lists caregiver support groups and a Caregiver Support Network run by community mental health teams, and its Caregivers Training Grant subsidises approved courses for family members and helpers. To talk to someone, call AIC on 1800-650-6060.

Looking after someone you love is meaningful work, and it can also be hard. This guide gathers what the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) says about caregiver stress and burnout, where to find other caregivers, and help with training. It uses AIC's own pages, checked on 16 Oct 2026. If you are worried about your health, please speak to your family doctor.

Caregiver stress

AIC describes stress as a natural way the body copes with change. Along the caregiving journey, changes in your loved one or in yourself can trigger it, and it can build up when caregiving demands feel overwhelming and your time, energy or support are limited. Over time, AIC says, it can affect both your physical and mental health: you may find it harder to remember things and feel irritable more easily.

Managing it is not only for your own sake. AIC says it also helps you give more sustainable care to your loved one.

A short check you can do

AIC suggests the Zarit Burden Interview Screen, a 4-question check. Score each question from 0 (never) to 4 (nearly always):

1. Because of the time you spend with your relative, do you feel you don't have enough time for yourself?
2. Do you feel stressed between caring for your loved one and meeting other responsibilities, such as work or family?
3. Do you feel strained when you are around your relative?
4. Do you feel uncertain about what to do about your relative?

AIC says a total of 8 or more means you are likely to be experiencing a high caregiving burden. It is a prompt to find support, not a diagnosis.

Caregiver burnout

AIC explains that caring for a loved one who is unwell can be emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting, and this can lead to burnout: feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, unsupported and unappreciated, and neglecting your own self-care. That can lead to depression and a loss of interest in caring for yourself and your loved one. AIC's advice is to seek professional help if you are feeling burnt out, and it offers a wayfinding tool to find support services near you.

Small ways to ease the load

• Turn your attention elsewhere for a while. AIC's main principle is that any activity that takes your mind off a stressful situation will reduce stress.
• Name your feelings. AIC encourages you to accept your emotions as natural and express them, by writing or by talking to someone you trust, such as family, friends or a healthcare professional involved in your loved one's care.
• Share the care. AIC suggests building a care circle of people you can count on, and asking a family member or friend to look after your loved one for an hour or more so that you can rest.
• Plan proper breaks. Short-term respite care, at home, in a centre or in a nursing home, can give you time off. See elderly care options for how each service works.

Support groups and the Caregiver Support Network

"You are not alone in your caregiving journey," AIC writes. Sharing how you feel with other caregivers can ease the sense of isolation, and your experience can help them too.

• Caregiver Support Network: AIC says there are more than 100 community mental health teams islandwide. Some of them run the Caregiver Support Network, which connects caregivers of people living with dementia, mental health conditions or physical health conditions. It offers peer support, counselling and coping techniques, and wellness activities such as stress management, and links caregivers to services in the community. AIC's page lists the teams to contact.
• Support groups: AIC lists groups run by hospitals, specialist centres and community organisations, some led by professionals and some by fellow caregivers, as well as groups for particular medical conditions. You can join whichever suits you.
• Young caregivers: AIC has information for caregivers below the age of 25 who look after a family member.

Caregivers Training Grant

Learning practical skills can make caring feel less daunting. AIC's Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) subsidises approved courses, at home, online or in a classroom.

• Who it is for: the person being cared for must be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, and aged 65 or older or have a disability. The caregiver, a family member or a domestic helper, must be the main person caring for them and must complete the course.
• How much: SGD 400 in the first year, then a SGD 200 top-up every 1 April, with the balance capped at SGD 400. Each course has a co-payment of at least SGD 10.
• Shared: different caregivers of the same person can use the same grant balance.
• How to apply: choose a course from AIC's Caregivers Training Catalogue, contact the training provider, and tell the trainer you are using CTG at least two weeks before the course starts. The provider gives you the form and submits it for you.

If a helper will be the main caregiver, our guide to a helper for elderly care covers courses for her and the Home Caregiving Grant.

Who to call

• AIC hotline: 1800-650-6060, in English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil. AIC lists its hours as Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8.30pm and Saturday 8.30am to 4pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays.
• If you are in crisis: AIC lists 24-hour lines, including the Samaritans of Singapore on 1767 and National Mindline on 1771 (or text 66691771).

Sources, checked 16 Oct 2026: AIC, Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout; AIC, Connecting with Other Caregivers; AIC, Caregivers Training Grant; AIC, Take a Break; AIC, Contact us.

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