Are you currently caring for a loved one with dementia or someone who needs assistance with their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) at night? Do you find yourself feeling fatigued and hoping for an alternative option to help care for your loved one?
If you answered “Yes” to the questions above, the Night Respite service offers you the chance to take a break from night time caregiving responsibilities, allowing you to rest or attend to other commitments.
Within the Night Respite service, individuals receive meaningful engagement, and their care needs are addressed. The service also provides support for caregivers in managing the sundowning behaviours of their loved ones.
Caregiver Teo Lay Shuang's Story
In 2021, Lay Shuang became the sole caregiver for her father, Mr. Teo, who had been diagnosed with dementia two years prior. Mr. Teo was experiencing sundowning symptoms, and was often unable to distinguish day and night. At night, he was restless, agitated and had difficulties sleeping. He often wanted to leave the house for walks at night, but as his vision and hearing are impaired, Lay Shuang had to accompany him to ensure his safety. He could go without sleep for two days and developed hallucinations that he was being locked up in an unfamiliar place.
Although Lay Shuang utilised home care services in the day, caregiving for her father at night left her exhausted and overwhelmed.
Sometimes, I get feelings of depression… It is only when he [is] asleep that I [am] able to have some time to myself and do my own things. Being a caregiver can feel so lonely and scary at times.
During one of Mr. Teo’s appointments at a polyclinic, she chanced upon Vanguard Senior Care Centre at Senja. The staff informed her of the Night Respite service, where her father could be engaged with physical exercise such as hand pedaling, as well as cognitive, sensory and reminiscence activities such as colouring and puzzles. She decided to enrol her father for the service and is glad she made that choice.
Now, Mr. Teo attends the Night Respite service four times on weekdays, excluding Wednesdays. She has been able to get much-needed rest at night without the worry that her father is unattended.
As the Vanguard staff are all trained and experienced in caring for persons living with dementia, I feel assured and comfortable with handing over the care of my father in the night to the centre. He is also able to sleep better now.
Lay Shuang encourages other caregivers to make use of services that can lighten their load, especially if they have other responsibilities such as caring for children or work commitments.
Story provided by Vanguard Woodlands.
Read the full story here: A Little Respite Goes a Long Way – By Caregiver Teo Lay Suang
Impact on Caregivers
Persons living with dementia may display changes in their behaviour in the evening that may last throughout the night. During this time, your loved one may experience some, if not most, of the following behaviours:
- Restlessness
- Heightened activity levels
- Disorientation
- Agitation
- Aggression
- Visual or auditory hallucinations
This is known as sundowning, which often occurs in the moderate to severe stages of dementia. While this primarily affects the sleep patterns of your loved one, it is important to acknowledge the ways in which sundowning may affect yourself as well. Caregivers often have to forego their sleep to ensure that their loved one is engaged and safe, and are unable to take time to themselves to recuperate from their caregiving duties in the day.
Find out more about the causes of sundowning and ways to manage it.
What are Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)?
ADLs refer to a person’s self-care activities. The six ADLs are:
- Eating
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Toileting
- Walking or moving about
- Transferring
How Can Night Respite Service Support Caregivers?
Night Respite service support caregivers who are caring for:
- Persons living with dementia who display sundowning behaviours; or
- Persons who require mild to moderate assistance in their ADLs.
Night Respite service relieves caregivers from caregiving so that they can catch up on rest or attend to other commitments.
Service providers will also educate caregivers on strategies to manage behaviours of concern, such as sundowning behaviours. This helps to ease their stress level, alleviate responsibilities, and provide respite care for caregivers.
During Night Respite, service providers provide custodial care for the persons in need and engage those who have trouble falling asleep at night with meaningful activities, such as puzzles, games, listening to music, and reminiscence activities.
How to Apply for Night Respite Service
To learn more and/or apply for Night Respite service, you may:
- Browse www.aic.sg/care-services/night-respite/
- Call the AIC hotline at 1800-650-6060
- Visit any AIC Link locations
- Talk to your medical social worker(s) or care provider(s)
Night Respite Service Care Providers
9 Upper Changi Road North
Singapore 507706
Tel: 6546 5678
Operating Days/Hours (Exclude Public Holidays):
Mon to Fri, 7pm to 7am
Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore)
12 Yishun Avenue 5
Singapore 768992
Tel: 6955 9540
Operating Days/Hours (Exclude Public Holidays):
Mon – Fri, 7pm to 7am
St. Joseph’s Home
36 Jurong West St 24
Singapore 648141
Tel: 6268 0482
Operating Days/Hours (Exclude Public Holidays):
Mon to Fri, 8pm to 8am
Vanguard Woodlands
2 Woodlands Rise
Singapore 737749
Tel: 6540 9200
Operating Days/Hours (Exclude Public Holidays):
Mon to Fri, 7pm to 7am
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Additional Resources
Enabling Festival 2022 – Interview with Angeline Gan from Vanguard Woodlands about Night Respite
Source: Enable Asia
Downloadable Resources
Living with Dementia: A Resource Kit for Caregivers – Providing Care
Source: Agency of Integrated Care
This booklet offers tips for effective communication, designing a daily routine, managing behavioural changes (including sundowning and wandering). It also links caregivers to resources that may be helpful as their loved one’s dementia progresses.
Is Your Loved One Experiencing Sundowning?
Source: Agency of Integrated Care
This resource features information on the possible causes of sundowning & tips for caregivers to cope with it.
- Agency for Integrated Care. A little Respite Goes a Long Way [Brochure].
- Agency for Integrated Care. (2021). Night Respite Brochure [Brochure]. Agency for Integrated Care.
- Agency for Integrated Care. (2020, February 01). Respite Care in Singapore: What you need to know. https://iepa.org.au/network-news/it-doesnt-need-to-be-this-way-the-promise-of-specialised-early-intervention-in-psychosis-services/
- St. Joseph’s Home. (2020). Dusk-to-Dawn Official Brochure [Brochure].