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SINGAPORE - The Singapore Red Cross has launched a first aid training courses for caregivers of the elderly, and stroke and diabetic patients.
And to ensure that more people can afford to sign up for them, eligible participants can tap on the Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) to offset the course fees.
The CTG, administered by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), provides $200 which caregivers can use to attend caregiver training to better care for their loved one.
Successful applicants need to pay only $10 for the courses after subsidy, compared to the full cost of $80.
MP for Marine Parade GRC, Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef, who was guest of honour at the launch, said the course will benefit families with a history of chronic illnesses. "Initial and early care can make a difference to someone's life," she said.
Singapore Red Cross secretary-general Benjamin William said: "It is not good enough that we know how to call 995. We should know what to do immediately if our loved one sustains a fall or cut, or loses consciousness."
On Saturday, the first Eldercare First Aid course was held in conjunction with World First Aid Day.
At the workshop held at the Singapore Red Cross Academy, about 30 participants learnt techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the Heimlich manoeuvre - a procedure for removing a foreign object lodged in the airway - and bandaging. Tips for preventing strokes and falls were also covered.
Undergraduate Clare Ng, 22, who attended the course to learn more about caring for her grandparents, said: "For the elderly, what is most important is how you can look after them when or before something happens, and not after."
The subsidised course fee of $10 is subject to eligibility. For more information, visit http://www.redcross.org.sg/.
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