Caregiving in Singapore – a labour of love
Singapore is progressing as rapidly as it is ageing. The sobering reality is that 1 in 4 people will be over the age of 65 years in 2030, with the number further increasing to almost 1 in 2 by the year 2050.
As a working adult, it is likely you already have caregiving duties for loved ones at home, or are beginning to be concerned about the welfare of your ageing parents. The COVID-19 pandemic has also further accelerated the demand for home-based caregiving services, especially when live-in caregivers are away or in the immediate post-hospitalisation period where more acute care is required. In general families are also choosing to keep their elderly at home for their overall health and safety and also to avoid situations for further infection.
With increased pressure on caregivers to provide for their loved ones, many turn to external solutions for help. Home-based care platform Homage has seen significant growth in 2021, further entrenching its mission to make home care accessible to all. Most recently, Homage has also clinched Series C funding round of USD30 million, backed by Sheares Healthcare Group, a wholly owned healthcare enterprise of global investment firm Temasek.
Founder and CEO Gillian Tee has this to say, “Our mission is to make everyday care for older adults and the chronic-ill personalised, accessible as well as cost-effective.”
How Homage makes home care accessible to all
Established in 2016, Homage matches professional caregivers, therapists and clinicians to families through a proprietary mobile app, enabling holistic care and wellness to older adults wherever they are.
To do that, Homage works with a base of more than 6,000 local (Singaporean and PR) nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals to deliver personalised care through its platform. All care professionals are put through a rigorous process of background checks, training and vetting to ensure the quality of care is never compromised.
Besides home care, Homage also works with institutions like the Ministry of Health (MOH), St Luke’s Eldercare and hospitals to provide professional resources and support. Most notably, Homage has also been active in Singapore’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, earning a mention from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong through active support on the vaccination and home-swab front.
Families can choose from a wide variety of services, such as home care, nursing care, and even physiotherapy. Care visits can also range from as short as 1-hour to a maximum of 24-hours, depending on the care needs of the individual. Homage is also able to meet language preferences of the individual, with caregivers fluent across many languages and dialect groups.
Why thousands of families choose Homage
Homage occupies a niche in the space of care, in that it offers a bridge between primary caregivers and their elderly loved ones who prefer to remain at home instead of being sent to institutions like old folk’s homes and community hospitals. This allows caregivers to strike a balance between work and providing care, without having to sacrifice one or the other.
Personalised Care Plans
The personalised care plans developed at Homage also cater to the unique needs of each individual, ensuring the continuity of care without disruption to their everyday routines. Compared to a one-size fits all care process, families can also access detailed care report summaries after every visit that also serve as a way to keep other family members involved in the care journey of their loved ones.
Flexible Scheduling
Get care only when you need it. Instead of having a live-in helper or having to send your loved ones to a care facility, Homage allows flexible scheduling on an ad hoc or regular basis to best suit your schedule. Care can also be arranged within 24-hours, which means you need not worry about last minute changes to your schedule.
Homage also complements situations such as post-hospitalisation discharge or respite care when the individual requires greater attention or when the primary caregiver is unavailable. Homage caregivers can step in to provide the necessary care required without additional burdens on the family.
The best part – you only pay for the care hours you need. Homage has both a la carte and package payment options so care remains affordable to all who need it.
Booking Care On-The-Go
Getting care is easy when you can do it at the touch of a button. Homage has a dedicated mobile app that allows users to book, manage and pay for care in a single touchpoint. Users can also review past and upcoming visits, alongside care visit summaries and details of their assigned Care Professional.
The mobile app also allows users to manage multiple profiles from one main user account, enabling personalised care and tracking for multiple individuals.
Care Wherever You Are
Finding the right caregiver is an important and highly personal process. To help you with the caregiving process, Homage offers a zero-commitment consultation with its Care Advisors to better understand the care needs of your loved ones and offer some clarity on the services that Homage can provide.
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